


Water in his veins

by ULTIOcean



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Extremism, Genocide, Get Together, Hate Crimes, Hurt Lance (Voltron), I think?, Kisses, Lance has regrets, Loneliness, Lost Lance, Love Confessions, M/M, Madness, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Missing Lance, Nymph Lance, Sadness, Some creepy shit towards the end, Tears, Violence, a bit of blood, a galaxy full of oceans, a lot of made up aliens and planets, and hugs, are you understanding the tags, as always, because I'm not, because i'm weak to sadness, destruction of a planet, don't fear the tags, extreme revenge, galra being douches, happiness (in the end), he goes on a solo quest, he loves keith, it does not end well, it's not as bad as it sounds, klance, lance centric, lance is a mess, monologues, my tags are a mess too, paladin logs, sentient oceans, so many tears, some religious stuff towards the end, some violence, they are both oblivious, this tag won't make sense till the end, water related powers, you know me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-08
Packaged: 2019-02-11 02:36:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 39,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12925518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ULTIOcean/pseuds/ULTIOcean
Summary: Ever since he'd been born, Alejandro McClain knew he was different, he'd experieced some weird shit on his younger days, things that drove his mother crazy and made his family have to adjust to his circumstances.He blamed his ancestors.Being a nymph had his quirks though, like breathing under water, walking on it, molding it at his will...it was strange, but he knew how to adapt, he was water, after all, with everything that came along with it, the reverence and affection of the water spirits, the voice of the ocean whispering to him constantly, the shifting of his human form to his fae one...the lying, to keep him safe.He'd dealt with it all, and thought he would never had to worry that his 'gift' would cause him any problems. All that changed when they got to space and he met Blue, though, when he'd learnt he was the Guardian spirit of water, when he'd let his guard down, when he'd messed up on that mission.He ended up alone, lost, and with little to no chance of going back to his teammates, his heritage bringing him more trouble than it was worth.He hated being a nymph, sometimes.





	1. "And so, the boy sank deep below the depths...

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooo, everyone! Here I am with a brand new fic! It was supposed to be a small one-shot, from 10k to 15k at best, i worked on snippets of it while symultaneously writing Re:Do, and i thought i would be able to finish it quickly and post it and forget about it.
> 
> Guess not. 
> 
> This baby ended up being 35k long at least, and i was dying, because it just wouldn't finish! More and more ideas kept coming and i couldn't see the end of it, it drove me crazy! So i said, you know what? Re:Do can wait for a few days, i need to finish this shit, like, now. So i spent 8 days writing for this non stop, to finally finish it and be free. 
> 
> And yay! It's done, and athough it was supposed to be a one-shot, since it's too frigging long (63 pages or so) and i can't edit it all at once (have to write Re:Do too) i decided to post it in three separate chapters, the first one today, the second tomorrow, and the last the day after.
> 
> So stay tuned if you want to read it whole, it won't take long (3 days), since it's already completely written, it just needs editing and the finishing touches. Now, i hope you enjoy this little story that got way out of hand, filled with my plot bunnies and ideas that came out of nowhere. 
> 
> Also, feel free to correct any grammar mistake, i know the first part, Lance's childhood, will be full of them because i have never written in past tense before, so i'm sure it sucks, but i tried. And i apologize for the mess of tags, for the first time, i didn't know what to tag it with, hence the jumbled mess you see up there.
> 
> Here's the pic that inspired this fic (made by me): https://talklance.tumblr.com/image/166189883625
> 
> Love, ULTI <3

Ever since the day he'd been born, Lance _knew_ he was different.

It wasn't anything he could explain with words, no way to convey the feeling of _knowing_ , it was just a fact, something deeply ingrained in his being, a part of him just as real as his blue eyes or the brown tufts of hair on his head, it was something he inherently understood, a piece of his core, of the puzzle that made Alejandro McClain.

He wasn't complete without it.

His mother had told him stories, when he was older, tales of his younger days, things that he wasn't able to remember but that made his family understand bit by bit just how special he truly was. Nobody had found anything strange with him when he was born, though that was obvious, it wasn't something on the surface, a change that could be seen with just a glance, it ran deep, flowing through him like a never-ending stream.

The day he came into the world, coincidentally, was also the day one of the biggest storms in the history of his city fell onto them, it hit hard, lightning and ice falling from the sky as the water poured down like it was intent on drowning the whole world. Miraculously, there had been zero casualties and little wreckage, leaving the population wondering how such a feat had been possible, not even the best scientists had been capable of explaining the nature of that storm, nor why it hit with such force, but caused so little destruction.

That had been the first sign, but nobody associated that natural disaster with him, there was no reason to, no way to know that it had been his greeting into the world, a gift for him only, a day that would be remembered by many, never to be forgotten.

But things didn't end right there, the signs continued manifesting themselves throughout his childhood, minor happenings piling up as the years passed by, making his family more and more anxious, not understanding what was exactly happening.

\--

The first sign -that they actually noticed- had been something really tame, in comparison to some of the future happenings, some events that his mother had chalked up to coincidence and ignored in favor of more important things ( _raising five sons and two nephews was no easy feat_ ), her daily life being busy enough that she didn't notice what was happening until it had escalated into a full blown rumor all over the neighborhood.

It had been a fact known by everyone that he'd been a really loud baby, he would cry whenever he got lonely, whine and scream when he wanted something, aching for both attention and affection, something his mother couldn't always give him. Her days were filled with so may tasks and responsibilities, that even if she got time to spend with him it wasn't enough, it was never enough, he'd always been selfish, wanted her love and her care, her attention focused solely on him.

It'd been usual for him to cry for the smallest things, wanting to be heard, for his mother to turn her head in his direction and come quickly at his side, cooing and patting his head tenderly before returning to her work. As soon as she would turn her back to him, though, he would tear up again, he wanted her to stay, to talk to him, he liked hearing the sound of her voice, it made the anxiety of being alone less suffocating, made him feel a little less terrified in a world that was too big and complicated for him to understand.

He would babble and whimper, rising his arms, reaching out with his hands high and making grabbing motions, trying in vain to get close to his source of comfort. His mother had eventually decided that he'd been too clingy, too dependent, and had resolved to let him cry it out the next time it happened, thinking that it would make him understand that she couldn't always be with him.

She needed her space too, or else she would get overwhelmed and stressed out, she had been under pressure from many fronts at the same time, and she was trying her best, but had needed Lance to be a little more independent so she could focus on her jobs. It had been the best choice, she had rationalized, he would get over it and eventually find new ways to entertain himself, leaving the stress of solitude and separation behind.

It worked, but not in the way Rosalia McClain had been expecting.

A strange pattern seemed to settle from then on, one that she'd noticed way too late.

The next time he cried for her, she'd been in the kitchen, and no matter how loud he wailed and how much he coughed, nearly choking, she wouldn't turn, her back would tense, and her hand would twitch like she was restraining herself from reaching out, but ultimately, she stayed put.

He'd been scared, then, everything around him was unknown, his brothers and sisters were not home to keep him company, and as he sat on the little playing mat a few feet from the kitchen, everything around him felt cold and scary, and his _mamá_ wouldn't come and soothe him like she always did.

He cried and cried until he got tired, up to the point that he had to stop so he could breathe, and after a few minutes, he'd been able to calm down, realizing his mommy was busy and tired and it wasn't the end of the world if he was alone for a while - _no matter how much it seemed like it was before_ \- and he found his eyes darting around the room curiously, taking in everything he could see.

His eyes had fixated on a small vase that sat atop one of the cupboards, and he'd stared intently at it, completely enthralled with it's flowery design and colorful shine. He'd reached his hands towards it, making grabbing motions as he let out a string of incomprehensible sounds, his eyes lighting up with something inexplicable.

His mother had turned to look at him, curious as to what had caused him to be so cheery, and, after a few minutes of observing his movements, a small drizzle had fallen over his house, disappearing as soon as Lance's arms fell back down, leaving a rainbow in it's wake along a giggling Lance, who clapped and smiled so big his mother had thought he would burst with glee. It wasn't anything big, nothing to think twice about, it was just rain, things like that happened everyday, everywhere, she chalked it up to a cute coincidence and forgot about it.

When things happened once, it was an accident, when they happened twice, it was a coincidence, when they happened three times, it was a pattern. But when it happened so many times that you couldn't count them anymore, it was obvious something was going on.

His mother had been watching him intently after she caught onto the pattern, wondering if she'd been imagining things or it was really happening. Everytime he was left alone and boredom would get the best of him, he would raise his arms, his eyes would seek outside through any window or door, and he would wait with bated breath for the small downpour that would drench only his house, leaving the rest of the neighborhood intact.

After it was finished and the rainbow emerged, he would clap his hands and babble, smiling and giggling, his boredom quickly forgotten in favour of this new source of entertainment that only he seemed to be able to summon.

Needless to say, his mother had been unsettled by this chance happenings, and rumours where flying around the neighborhood as they watched the rain fall over their house every other day. She'd been still unsure of what happened, not ready to believe that the rain had anything to do with Lance, but ultimately, for her own peace of mind and to calm the chatter of the neighbors, she resigned herself to watch him more closely and keep him by her side, paying more attention to him with someone always in the room with him.

The rain seemed to stop after that, and she forgot about it for a while.

\--

The second sign had been happening since the day he'd been born, it seemed. Though his mother only began noticing that fact as the same pattern repeated again and again over the years, making her frown at the obvious bad luck her son seemed to be carrying around.

It happened like this. The first time they took baby Lance to the beach, it was supposed to be sunny out, with high temperatures and no wind, the green flag being up and announcing to everyone that they were free to swim without a care in the world. When they arrived there, however, as soon as they were in the near vicinity of the turist packed place, the weather had taken a turn for the worst.

Black clouds had filled the sky, a cold wind rushing through the area and leaving every person shivering as they yelped, the sea suddenly enraged, waves crashing harshly onto the shore, making everyone retreat to the safety of the hotel near by or their homes.

His family had run home to take refuge, and in less than fifteen minutes, the sky had cleared and the sea had calmed down, nobody on the news had been able to explain the sudden change in atmospheric pressure or how the sea had turned around and gone from still, to angry, to utterly calm again in that lapse of time, it had been a mystery that had been forgotten all too soon.

They had gone to the beach again soon enough, when Lance's father finally got a free weekend from work, wanting to spend it with his family doing something fun, and there was nothing more enjoyable for someone of McClain blood than swimming in the open sea. The report on the TV had said that it was going to be one of the hottest days of summer, that the temperature was going to be high and it was important to keep hydrated. They'd also announced that it was the perfect day to go to the beach, because the sea was supposed to be really calm, perfect to take your children out for a swim.

The sharp waves striking hard against the rocks on the shore and the wind blowing against their faces said otherwise, though. His brothers and sisters had cried in distress, annoyed that they had been denied to have a fun day out again because the newscaster had been wrong twice in a row. They had begrudgingly trekked back home, gazes on the floor as a depressed atmosphere dragged their enthusiasm down. On the news, the flabbergasted scientists discussed global warming and an imminent Armageddon, theorizing possible causes for the unusual fluctuations on both the weather and the tide.

These events continued repeating on the span of some months, every time the whole McClain family would take a trip to the beach, the sea would reject them, forcing them back home only for the climate to improve as soon as they left. It left his mother wondering, the thoughts floating around her mind but never fully forming, the idea way too ludicrous to even consider it being real, until she tested out her theory and came a little closer to the truth.

There had been a day, a scheduled 'Let's see if the beach doesn't hate us' day, in which Lance had been sick, his mother had to stay home to take care of him, and his siblings and father had gone out in their stead, hopeful at finally being able to take a soak after so long. It had gone splendidly well, their day had been wonderful and nothing out of the ordinary happened, they came back home with smiles on their faces and a weight off their shoulders, McClain were known for their love for water, and they had been starved.

As soon as Lance was healthy again and their next beach day came, though, the same events from before repeated, his family groaning and moaning, shouting in desperation and wondering why the world seemed to hate them. His mother had begun suspecting, then, and was determined to find out if her theory was right or wrong one way or another, her mind reeling with the possibilities and slim chances that she could be right.

She prayed to god that she wouldn't be _right_.

For the next months, she set up a schedule for her family, she would alternate taking Lance to the beach every other day, on the first, everyone would go, on the second, Lance would remain home with her and the loop would begin anew. After two months of keeping track of the unusual occurrences, she tried not to weep at the realization that she had been right, Lance seemed to bring forth bad weather whenever he got close to the sea.

Every single time he'd been close by, the ocean had been fiercely wild, pushing everyone away as if it was screaming to back off, dark clouds blocking the sun and winds stronger than they had ever seen preventing them from enjoying what was supposed to be a nice day out.

It made her heart ache to think that her beautiful son had been cursed with such bad luck, never allowed to watch a sight as wonderful as a sunny and calm beach, the sand twinkling under the sunlight as the sea reflected the blue sky above.

His back luck also came with side effects, something she had never wanted her son to experience. As the years passed by, he'd never glimpsed anything other than an angry and terrifying sea, one that could only harm and destroy, the waves crashing harshly against the rocks, wind whipping his hair around and hurting his face, sand getting into his eyes as he squinted, trying to catch even a small glimpse of the sight that everyone called beautiful, the calm and quiet waters he never got to see.

The day he got close to the shore and nearly dipped his feet in, a boom of thunder and lightning had filled the sky, and not only had the sea been enraged, but the sky had rained harder than ever, emptying gallons of water as they poured down fast, visibility nearly null, and with so many angry sounds and the deafening rumble of thunder echoing in his ears, he'd turned away and hid home, crying tears of frustration and fear.

He'd developed and aversion to water after that, never learnt to swim either.

His mother had been devastated, but he'd resigned himself to stay away from water forever, the fear of being crushed by an intense pressure still fresh in his mind, no matter how many years had passed. Water wanted nothing to do with him, and he wanted nothing to do with water, it was okay, he would get over it, it wasn't a big deal.

After he'd resolved to never touch any water source ever again, though, he began feeling something around him, he'd been six at the time, so he hadn't been able to explain it better then, but it was as if a presence wrapped around him, like a soft blanket cuddling him while whispering apologies and sweet words of comfort.

The presence had orbited around him, watching his every move, and eventually it had grown in strength as the months passed by, and he'd been able to pinpoint reactions and interpret feelings and sensations as phrases or answers to his questions, it had steadily become a part of his life without him noticing.

It should have been unsettling, but young and curious as he was, he just found it interesting, the presence soothed him when he was sad, beamed when he felt happy, cried when he shed tears. It was comforting and filled him with a sense of completion that nothing else managed to achieve, it cared for him, cherished him, talked to him when no one else on his household had time for him.

It made him feel _loved_.

So one day, when the presence reached for him, he reached back.

And he saw the sea, it's wide expanse filling his vision as he felt, more than he saw, how the waves caressed the sand as they lapped at the shore, how the rocks and seashells moved with the current, the ebb and flow never-ending, how the fishes swam and the corals thrived and volcanoes burst and the ocean _lived_.

He was startled to realize that he'd teared up, if that was how the sea looked like when it was at peace, it was no wonder why everyone thought it was beautiful. His heart throbbed in pain at the thought that he would never get to see a sight so breathtaking in person, but the mere notion of getting close to a source of water gave him chills and made his body tremble, tears springing to his eyes as he tried in vain to reign in his fear.

It was unfair, and on the back of his mind, Mar _(as he'd dubbed the presence)_ tenderly caressed him and whispered ' _patience_ ' to him, which only left him confused, because he couldn't understand what she was referring to. She only giggled and ruffled his hair, the wind swiping his bangs even inside his room, with all the windows closed, and he smiled while the taste of salt remained on his lips, a grin lighting up his face.

Sometimes he would slip and talk to her out loud, smart as he was, he was still a child and oftentimes careless, and his mother, worried about new friends in his life, had once asked him who Mar was. His response had lead her to think that he had an imaginary friend, someone he made up to vanquish the loneliness he felt when the rest of his family were too busy to play with him. And she wasn't far from the truth, Mar had no physical form, was just the wind and the whispers and a presence tucked tight around him.

He hadn't felt the need to correct her.

\--

The third and final sign had been disastrous, and it left no doubt in his mother's mind of just how special and different her son really was, it had been a decisive moment in his life that dictated many of his future decisions and changed his outlook on things drastically.

He'd actually been old enough when it happened, meaning that he could remember the events that took place without the help of his mother, the memory always fresh on his mind regardless of how many years had passed by.

It had been a few days after his seventh birthday, when he was still hyped and bubbly because of all the excitement over his special day. He had been buried in gifts and hugs and all his relatives had come see him, congratulating him and showering him with love. It was why he liked birthdays so much, because even if his parents and siblings were too busy for him on a normal day, when the twenty eight of July would come, they would postpone whatever they had to be doing and focused solely on him.

It made him feel special.

When the day had ended and everything got back to normal, though, he'd noticed that Mar had been quite restless, her presence fluctuating, fading in and out of focus, a gnawing feeling of worry settling on his stomach. He'd tried to ask her what was wrong, if he could help in anyway, but she'd shaken her metaphorical head and kissed his forehead, a ghost of a whisper and a fleeting touch calming him down, a sense of _'Nothing is wrong'_ filing his whole being.

He'd gone about his days as usual and forgot about it, until three days later.

It had been evening when he felt it for the first time, Mar's sweet voice calling to him from outside his house, her presence strong and firm, waiting for the moment he would respond. He had glanced at the clock and noticed that it was barely six o'clock, and he could go outside and play until at least eight, which was the curfew his mama had established for him.

"Mamá, I'm going outside to play with Mar! I'll come back later!" He'd yelled at her from the other side of the house, knowing full well she'd been able to hear him well enough.

"That's fine, be careful, see you at dinner!" She had yelled back, her voice caring and full of affection, and he'd been able to tell she was smiling, even though she was out of sight, she still found 'cute' the fact that he had an imaginary friend.

She wouldn't think the same with what happened later, though.

He had run out of the house, his flip flops scrapping against the pavement as he tried to get to his destination faster, breathing heavily, his eyes shining with excitement and wonder. He'd followed Mar's harmonious voice without hesitation, the sound getting louder and louder in his mind the closer he got to the beach, and with a startled yelp, he came to the realization that she was guiding him there.

His feet had braced the ground as he stopped abruptly, suddenly scared.

His fear of water had been nothing to make fun of, it'd been nothing short of a phobia, the mere idea of getting near the raging, angry sea he'd been watching since he was a toddler filling him with apprehension. But Mar hadn't stopped calling, waiting patiently until he felt he was ready, and as their connection had grown over the years, he could feel her calming thoughts flowing to him, calming his nerves and settling his anxiety.

He'd ran as fast as his legs could carry him, a determined glint in his eyes, his mouth pressed into a tight line, and he'd only stopped when his feet felt sand under their toes.

The sight that greeted him was something he'd thought he'd never see.

The sun was beginning to set, bathing the ocean in a mixture of oranges, yellows and pinks, a few clouds decorating the otherwise clear sky, looking like cotton candy was floating freely around. The point where the calm sea met the sky, the horizon, was a bright line shining like a beacon, showing the vastness of it's reach and it's seemingly endless beauty.

He hadn't noticed he'd been crying until the first sob left his lips, only now noticing the tears that fell down his cheeks as he contemplated what everyone had always talked about; a serene sea, quiet and dormant, the ebb and flow of the small waves a sound that could lull him to sleep where he stood. He'd thanked god above in that moment for his good memory, because that was a sight he'd never wanted to forget for as long as he lived.

He'd cried and laughed until he found it in himself to stop, his lips forming a smile that seemed to be there to stay, and Mar, always understanding, always loving, shrouded him with a gust of wind, ruffling his hair and tickling his cheeks, a whisper of a voice compelling him to follow, reaching out and begging for his trust, his understanding, for him to _see_.

He hadn't hesitated, neither had he wavered, he'd taken a hold of that thread that appeared to connect them, and followed.

He'd walked past tourists and residents alike, some of his neighbors waving at him as he passed, chatting with him for a little while before going on with their lives, completely oblivious to what would happen in a few hours. His flip flops had been lost in favour of walking barefoot on the sand, his soles and toes warm as he trekked thought the beach in a straight line, following the thread that was slowly coming to an end.

The bond he shared with Mar had led him to a creek, surrounded by glowing rocks that hid everything from view, it was secluded and kinda small, but could perfectly well fit ten or more people. At the time, though, only he'd been there, and it looked like no one knew how to reach the place, making it a safe haven for someone who wanted peace and tranquility, their own small, private beach, far away from prying eyes and judging stares.

He'd sat onto the sand then, his feet nearly touching the water but not doing so, his fear still holding his heart in a tight grip, incapable of moving on. The last rays of sunlight filtered over the rocks above and shone on the water's surface, it looked like gems were sparkling in a beautiful cyan blue, making him want to run his hands through it.

And then, while he'd been lost on his thoughts again, Mar's call had renewed anew, her musical voice beckoning him, pleading for him to crawl closer, to deepen that connection they shared, to touch her essence and finally be whole, find the missing part that he hadn't known he lacked.

He'd obeyed so fast he'd been quite frightened, but didn't have time to ponder over it, because as his hand touched the water, the taste of sand lingering on his lips, he found himself taken in, a huge wave swallowing him whole and reeling him in, it felt like hands were cradling his body softly, moving him deeper and deeper under the surface until all he could see were pinpricks of light, the sun's rays no longer reaching his eyes.

And he'd panicked, he'd opened his mouth and tried to scream, realizing too late that, while underwater, that was impossible and _he was going to suffocate and die so young and why had he-_

He still remembers, clear as day, how his eyes had widened, how his vision focused and he could see every little detail around him, how he took in a breath and noticed that....his lungs filled with air and his body felt light and something inside of him slotted into place and everything felt _right_.

In that moment, he'd been too awed and astonished to be scared, and he'd dedicated the fist twenty minutes to asses his situation while he'd tried to calm down. He'd looked around a second time, regarding the area around him with caution and apprehension, and noticed that he could actually see the things that surrounded him, which should have been impossible with how deep he was and how little light reached that part of the ocean.

It was staggering, how his eyes had focused and he could make out his surroundings without a problem, nevermind that everything should have been a watery blur of silhouettes and misshapen shadows. He'd sighed and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, his hand pressing on his chest, just above his heart, feeling the rapid staccato echoing inside his ribcage as it slowly decreased to normal levels.

Scared as he'd gotten the more he stayed put, he hadn't been able to move, his body too tense and awkward from being enveloped completely in water for the first time. After a while, though, he'd pried his eyes open and watched as water rushed into his mouth and into his lungs every time he took a breath, horrified by the idea that he should be choking and suffocating but seemed to be perfectly fine.

And it'd been obvious no oxygen was there, since no bubbles left his lips and he could hear the sloshing coming from his chest as his body adapted to the changes.

Suddenly, a sound reached his ears, soft and kinda distorted, no doubt by the fact that he was hundreds and hundreds of feet under the surface, and he swirled around, hands flailing as he'd tried to right himself, to watch in amusement as a small horsefish approached him slowly, almost shyly. As soon as he'd been in reach, the small thing had nuzzled his head on his cheek, almost like a cat would, letting out a small chirp as he swam in circles around his body, seemingly happy to be in his company.

A few minutes after that, and he'd found himself with a handful of fish, horsefish, crabs, jellyfish, and even starfish, all of them floating and cuddling around him, looking at peace, and he startled as he felt some kind of...warm, emanating from them, filling him with a sense of companionship and the overwhelming feeling of family, belonging.

And then, almost as if they'd sensed his awe, the jellyfish had begun glowing for him, a myriad of colors swirling around as they shined like bouncy kaleidoscopes, looking like glitter on a dark canvas. They'd danced around him and painted a beautiful picture for his eyes only, and eventually, they had reached out to him, their tentacles -arms?- trying to hold his wrist, and he'd been doubtful, he was smart, he knew that they hurt, as much as he knew that you couldn't breathe underwater.

But he'd been there, still alive beneath the sea as it's currents caressed his face and kept him warm, and he'd decided that, ' _hey, might as well, I'm already here_ ', so he'd lifted his hand towards the jellyfish and watched as a tendril slowly, curled around his wrist, the touch so gentle and soft it felt like silk.

He'd heard a voice, then, a sweet, melodic whisper singing all around him, beckoning him to follow, to explore the expanse before him to his hearts content; and so he did.

He'd moved his hands and feet around as if he'd done it a thousand times before, the water pushing and flowing around him, guiding his movements, teaching him how to be faster, how to twirl and turn, and even though his mind had reminded him that he had never learnt how to swim, his body knew the motions instinctively, just like it knew how to breathe or blink.

He'd found himself diving and following after a small group of fish, their platinum skin glimmering even in the darkness that surrounded them, a small jellyfish resting on his shoulder, going along for the ride. He'd traveled around and saw as the sand changed shape depending on the area he was in, he watched as the crabs changed shell and the sea urchins rolled with the currents and the algae undulated endlessly with the flow and the colors of the corals mixed together to form a majestic rainbow only he could see.

He couldn't remember for how long he'd drifted around, but he hadn't been tired, he'd thrived on water, his thirst sated and his hunger nonexistent, his energy levels never decreasing, he felt like he was bursting with energy. He had been so excited, everything around him was wonderful and new, for someone like him who'd never seen the beauty that the ocean had to offer, it had been magical, a key moment in his life that he would never forget.

He'd eventually arrived to a coral bed, and, still high with excitement and awe, he'd played with them, their whispers sounding sweet to his ears, it had felt like he was eating cotton candy of the sweetest brand, and the coral's touch had been feathery soft and bouncy. He'd hesitated for just a second before throwing himself headfirst into the bed, the plants tickling his face and sides, and he'd felt like he was surrounded by clouds.

He'd let out a giggle that echoed around him, and Mar had been delighted at his happiness, singing for him again, shrouding him in warmth and caresses as she lulled him to sleep, her joy palpable and so raw and sincere he hadn't known what to do with it back then. So he just slept, enveloped with affection and the hum of Mar's voice as she rocked back and forth, the motions calming and tender. It had been one of the best nights sleep he'd ever had.

When he'd woken up, though, he'd noticed that the sky was dark and the stars were out, which meant he was late and his mom was going to kill him. Mar had apologized profusely, her thoughts mirroring on the whirls and the stuttering currents that changed direction without reason, displaying her nervousness.

She'd hurriedly pushed him over, a warm current carrying him without effort right back up and close to the shore, to where he hesitated a bit before breaching the surface and taking a deep breath, finding he had no trouble at all at doing so and his lungs were water free.

He'd looked up, then, and saw the night sky, filled with so many stars and lights, it looked like someone had sprinkled a really big can of glitter on a black canvas, and that canvas reflected on the ocean like a mirror when he looked down, making it look like he was swimming in a sea of starlight. His own face had beamed back at him, and he would forever deny the tears that he had shed then, the only witness to it being Mar herself, in her all encompassing and seemingly endless glory.

She had pushed him out, slowly, the waves urging him to go home, Mar's soft voice whispering promises of explanations and reunions at a later date, and he'd nodded, sending back a small wave of affection, hoping it got through. He'd ran as fast as he could afterwards, knowing his mom was gonna get pissed because he'd missed dinner, but he'd been too excited, everything had been new and he'd been pumped of adrenaline and bewilderment, too immersed on his journey to think about anything else.

He'd reached his back door in record time, and had just opened the door like he always did, shouting his usual ' _I'm home, mama'_ before walking in, still wet and barefoot. He'd been expecting a lecture, or her mama's chastising speech, maybe his papa's disappointed look. What he didn't expect, though, was for his mom to come striding right towards him at inhuman speeds and for her hand to come hard and fast against his cheek, the impact stinging and burning, bringing tears to his eyes.

"Alejandro McClain, where the hell were you! How dare you!" He'd been speechless, about to whimper and cry, not understanding why she was so mad. Her face had been frozen in anger, which slowly morphed to terror and then relief, accompanied by grief. She'd kneeled to his level and hugged him tight, sobbing uncontrollably as tremors racked her body, her voice wrecked as she spoke.

"Hijo, son, where have you been? What happened? Dios, I was so worried, I thought I lost you forever." She had kept on weeping, her arms never wavering in their strength, her hold secure around him. He'd been confused, making a high pitched sound and patting her back, trying to comprehend what was going on and why his mama was so sad and concerned.

"Mama....what's going on? I mean, I get you're mad that I missed dinner but...." She had gasped, her breath hitching and eyes widening as she looked him in the eye, her expression severe and frantic.

"Lance, sweetie, what day is it?" He'd tilted his head in confusion, sniffing a bit and cradling his hurt cheek on his palm, feeling uncomfortable with the way his mom was looking at him.

"What do you mean? It's still today? I left a few hours ago to play outside?" His voice had sounded unsure, clearly puzzled at his mom's behavior, his mind reeling and trying to find an explanation to the situation. His mom's face had fallen then, her lips wobbling as she tried in vain to keep the tears at bay, she'd held his cheeks with both her hands and gazed seriously at him, her eyes never wavering.

"Lancey, son......it's been three days." He remembers clear as day how he'd froze, his whole body seizing up and mouth hanging open, a silent gasp escaping his lips. He'd thought that was impossible, that he'd been just swimming for a few hours at best, it just...couldn't be.

But he'd been proved wrong when all his siblings and his dad had come down, all of them crying and portraying varying degrees of worry, fussing over him, pampering him with blankets and bringing him hot chocolate and food.

It had been a fact known to everyone that he liked being the center of attention, but having everyone crowding around him, asking so many questions at the same time, some of them shouting and crying, others frowning and demanding answers, he just couldn't take it, and he'd nearly had a panic attack before his mom had thrown everyone out.

As soon as everyone had left, he'd sagged on his seat, the stifling atmosphere vanishing with his relatives and leaving him finally able to _breathe_. He'd calmed down as soon as the silence had filled the room and the faint sound of the waves could be heard in the distance, Mar's voice a faint whisper full of apologies and affection.

"Lancey, sweetie, can you tell mama what happened?" He'd come back from his reverie in a rush, opening his eyes to watch as his mom glanced at him with something akin to distress, her forehead wrinkling like it did every time she was worried. He had felt extremely guilty, but at the time, he hadn't been able to explain what occurred, hadn't known how to put into words the feeling of finally being whole, complete, a missing piece slotting into place, surrounded by water as if it'd been a part of him, something that was _his_ , and his alone.

So he'd lied instead.

"Nothing happened mama, I just... I was out playing, like I said I would. It didn't feel long for me at all, a few hours at most..." His mom had looked heartbroken, her expression wretched, as if she could feel that he'd been lying, but she'd just nodded her head, explaining to him that they'd called the police and had been searching for him for three days, with no trace of his presence anywhere besides a few tourists that had said he'd been near the beach.

She'd hugged him and kissed his forehead with tears in her eyes, saying how much she loved him and how glad she was that he came back. She had tucked him into bed with a whispered good night and, after a few days, things had gone back to normal.

Only, they had _not_.

His mom hadn't let him out of her sight, always following him if he wanted to go out and play, accompanying him to school, his friends' houses....it became suffocating in no time, and, as two weeks passed, he'd began feeling the pull of the ocean, calling to him, wondering where he'd been and if he was okay. The part of him that he'd just uncovered screamed to go back, fall into the depths and sleep with the corals again, feel the silky touch of the jellyfish and relish in the warmth that the water offered him unconditionally, eagerly.

He'd felt as if he was drying, unable to breathe under the scorching heat of the sun, his skin and throat burning, weeping with the need to return, to feel the water caress his cracking skin as the waves dragged him further down.

Three days later, and he hadn't been able to take it anymore, he'd sneaked around the house at sunset, making sure everyone was busy so no one could follow him. His mom had been on the attic back then, organizing old stuff, so he'd known she wouldn't be able to stop him, he'd ditched her with a heavy sense of remorse and ran like his life depended on it.

He hadn't bothered to look back.

He'd run like a madman, feet scrapping against the asphalt, only then noticing that he'd been barefoot, but never once stopping, his breaths quick and short as he'd pushed his limits, heart beating out of his chest as he approached the creek from last time.

As soon as his feet touched the sand, he'd stopped, gazing at the twinkling water with an overwhelming sense of relief, and before he'd been able to think about what he was doing, he'd jumped right in, a sigh of happiness leaving his lips as the soothing ebb and flow cleansed his skin and his heart, an intense serenity washing over him and dominating his every thought.

He had just laid there, soaking in the comfortable warmth that Mar provided, a smile stretching his lips wide as the sun no longer felt like a burning inferno, warming up his soul instead. Mar had cuddled him after a while, her presence small and apologetic, regret flowing out of her in waves, but he'd just shook his head and tried to hold onto her essence, denying her faults, trying to regain back her joy and delight from when they had been together.

She had just began easing her regret when a scream had made both of them turn around.

And there had stood his mom in all her glory, apron still tied around her waist and hair up in a bun, phone clutched tight in her fist as her eyes widened to impossible levels. Her mouth had been open in a silent gasp, and she'd gazed at him, terrified and shaking, the phone clattering to the ground, the resulting thud breaking him out of his shock.

He'd opened his mouth, intent on questioning her or apologizing for his escape, but his mother seemed to have regained her composure, and she'd strided towards him, anger and worry and a myriad of other emotions swirling in her blue eyes. Then she'd hoisted him up, held him close to her chest as she whirled around fast, looking back at Mar with distaste one last time before she ran back home, never stopping.

Not when her flip flops broke and she was running barefoot, not when she bumped into cars and streetlights or trash cans, not when her hairband fell and her long curls bounced with every movement.

She'd run like her life depended on it, and Lance had only been able to hold onto her, suddenly afraid when he could no longer hear Mar's voice, fear clouding his mind.

As soon as they got home, though, his mother had put him down, taken a deep breath, and proceeded to groan and cradle her head in her hands, a sigh of frustration escaping her lips.

"Of all the things we- why did this have to- I blame our ancestors, how did they even-" It'd looked like she hadn't been able to string a full sentence, back then, and she'd slumped her shoulders before looking down at him, her expression melting into one of concern and warmth as she kindly, softly, proceeded to explain to him the thing that would change his life forever.

"Lancey, dear, I don't know how long you've been capable of swimming, and that's a talk we will be having later, but, have you looked yourself in the mirror after taking a dip?" Her voice had dwindled down to a whisper, and he'd titled his head in confusion before shaking his head, feeling the anxiousness swirl around in his stomach.

His mother had smiled at him then, and guided him towards the full body mirror on the front entrance of their house, stopping by it's side before she pushed him to stand before it.

And he still remembers clear as day how he'd looked in that moment, long, flowy white hair cascaded down his back, touching the floor - _how did he not notice that?_ \- and undulating softly, as if imitating waves. His eyes were a cyan blue, a shade so intense and bright that just looking at it made him feel alien, and markings akin to scales adorned his face, near his rigth eye and on his left cheek, shining the same vivid color as his eyes.

He had nearly screamed, tearing up while a confused and frightful whimper left his mouth, his head turning to look at his mom in search for answers. She shook her head and took him to the living room, seating him on the sofa as she ran to bring back towels, which she used to pat him dry, giving him a set of warm, clean clothes to wear.

"Go on son, look in the mirror again." He hadn't wanted to do it, still scared and with no idea what was going on, but he trusted his mom, and so did as she asked. The image that gazed back at him was the same one he'd been seen for years now, soft brown hair that was cut short, dark blue eyes the same shade as his mother's, and tan skin with no strange marks or glowing or anything of the sort.

And he was no idiot, he had known ever since the day he'd breathed under water that there had been something different about him, something that he hadn't been able to explain, like his connection with Mar and the feeling of completion that being in the ocean filled him with.

"I'm not human, am I?" He'd whispered with a broken voice.

"Don't be silly, of course you're human, you're just...special, or more like, our ancestors' blood runs through you with astounding tenacity." She'd sounded exasperated and annoyed, and he'd thought it was strange that she wasn't more freaked out, and when he'd voiced those thoughts, she'd chuckled, getting up from the sofa and motioning for him to follow her towards the attic.

She'd looked through an old box that seemed to be centuries old, mold and dust coating it's every surface, making him want to run away from it because of how dirty it was. But a minute later his mom had mouthed an ' _Aha_ ' and blew at the cover of a crusty, worn down book, expression tight as she handed it to him, mouth set in a grimace.

"This is something our ancestors left us as a _gift_ , it's been passed down, generation after generation, though no one gave it much thought, we've always had the strange feeling of wanting to keep it safe, keep it close to us, make sure it wasn't destroyed or damaged." He'd nodded, not understanding where she was trying to get with that.

"I've read it, once, it talks about our ancestors and their lives, about the gift they carried within their blood and how it affected their surroundings, and themselves. I know you'll probably won't believe this, but our predecessors were part fae, or, more specifically, _Nymphs_ with a tight bond with water, if what the book says it's true." He'd raised an eyebrow and gaped, about to laugh if it weren't for the seriousness in his mother's tone, and the fact that he'd been experiencing some strange shit up to that point.

"You mean....we're descended from....fairies?" He'd been incredulous, or at least, a part of him had been, he hadn't wanted to believe that he was different, that there was something wrong with him that would never go away no matter how hard he tried, flowing in his bloodstream and turning him into a stranger in his own body.

But he'd been lying to himself, because he'd always known, always felt the void gaping inside him, waiting to be filled with something that he couldn't understand, a missing piece that he needed to be complete, to feel whole.

He'd just never thought it would be something like this.

"In a nutshell, yes, that's what it is. I didn't believe any of this when I read it, back when I married your father, but, ever since you were born, strange things have happened, and honestly, I should have noticed way sooner, the signs were there, clear as day, I just..." She'd closed her eyes and bowed her head, features marred with pain.

"I didn't want to believe it was true, it was easier to think they were coincidences, that it had nothing to do with you. I didn't want you to suffer because of it, our lives are already difficult as they are, the idea that you would have to deal with this on top of everything...I didn't want that for you." Her whole frame had shook as the words left her lips, but it lasted for about a minute before she'd straightened and gifted him a beautiful smile, one full of love and understanding and warmth.

"But this is a part of you, a piece of your soul and half of your heart." She'd reached out to him and caressed his face tenderly. "And it changes nothing, you're still my beautiful boy, my bright, brave and kind son. Fae or not, you're still you, Alejandro McClain, and nothing will ever change that, understood?" He'd been shocked and afraid, but the moment she'd uttered those words, he'd felt as if every little worry had melted away, and he had smiled back at her, nodding his head in earnest, wiping away the stray tears that had fallen.

After that, a handful of things happened that added to his already weird life, events and conversations he'd thought he would never have.

First off, as soon as he'd finished talking with his mom, he'd ran to meet Mar again, waiting to hear an explanation and what she knew, since his mom had explained to him what happened every time someone tried to get him close to the ocean. In a flurry of whispers and apologies coupled with regret, Mar had told him that she'd rejected him as a means to protect him and keep him safe. She had known that the second he touched her being, he would have shifted into his Feeric form, showing the world what he really was.

He'd been a baby, nothing but a child back then, and she hadn't wanted him to suffer an be subjected to god knew what if people found out. It had hurt her to keep him away, she'd told him as much, and she'd yearned and watched from afar, longing for the day he would finally come to her and find out how truly special and beautiful and loved he was.

He'd forgiven her immediately, as he understood that it would have done him no good to be exposed like that. And then, like a child sought for their father's love, she had wrapped around him, her hug tight and full of adoration, more close to reverence, really, as she sang and held him close, whispering of the water dwellers' love for him, how much they adored his bright soul and his kind heart, how they wished to meet him and aid him in anything he asked for.

It had been a bit overwhelming, but he'd been filled with a sense of pride and the feeling that he now had thousands of sons and daughters willing for his affection deep below the surface of the sea.

Afterwards, he'd quickly said goodbye to Mar, and told her he would come back soon, then ran home so he could tell his family the news, no matter how anxious the sole thought had made him.

His brothers and sisters had taken it well, even going as far as telling him they kinda knew something was up, that they had always felt like he was special somehow, but had preferred to keep that feeling to themselves. His father, on the other hand, had been outraged -in a funny way- and he'd cursed at his ancestors for fucking up, grumbling about ' _Why they couldn't have chosen another generation_ ' and how they had been ' _Good for nothings that only left behind debts and a power that no one believed existed or ever received'_.

Until Lance had been born, that is.

They had a meeting after that, reading the book and any documents they could find, trying to gauge the extent of his abilities and what he was capable off. So far, he had known he was able to breathe under water and communicate with water entities and sources, as well as shift in form, but he didn't know what triggered it.

They had decided to investigate his shifting ability first, and discovered that he changed when, _one_ : he was doused with salt water, and _two_ : when he came in contact with pure, unadulterated, non-contaminated water.

The first one had been easy to learn about, he'd taken a dip in the ocean as mar pushed him around, braiding his hair with the currents as he'd changed forms while his family watched an 'ooohh-ed'. Then they'd tried to replicate the effect by making salt water at home, using various combinations of salts and sands and water, but the result was a very wet, very grumpy, still very human Lance.

The second one had been trickier. He'd swimmed in different environments -his parents documenting everything for future reference-, he swam at pools, lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, even on a reservoir and a big puddle, but none of them had made him shift.

They had gone home and made hot chocolate, brainstorming for possible reasons as to _why_ , until his big sister had said something about purity, something she had read about fae not liking impurities. She had thought that maybe, contaminated water wouldn't work, and they had the new mission to try and get pure, clean water to test their theory, and it had been harder than they'd thought.

Every single body of water in earth had been contaminated in some way by pollution, residue, trash, environmental issues, dirty rain and many more. And it had been practically impossible to get a sample of a clear one, it had involved the internet, a few trades, some contacts his father had that owed him favors, a lot of money they couldn't afford to spend, numerous phone calls and some -possibly- illegal stuff that they had agreed to never talk about.

But they had done it, a sample of clear water, completely free of contamination and impurity had arrived in the mail, and they had all but rushed towards the living room where he'd been playing video games and proceeded to douse him with the small vial of water as he'd yelped, watching in astonishment as his hair grew and his eyes changed color.

It had been a nice discovery, knowing he wouldn't have to worry about changing forms anywhere on earth besides the sea, and his family had heaved a sigh of relief at the thought that he wouldn't have to suffer and could have a -mostly- normal life.

His life ha continued like normal after, he'd told to anyone who asked that he hadn't been able to swim in the sea because he had a phobia, born from a time when he'd nearly drowned in the beach, but that he had no trouble on any other water source, and no one ever questioned him.

He had made friends and attended school and summer camp and moved on without a hitch, by day he lived like a normal human, doing homework, playing with friends, studying, and having fun. By night, he would swim towards the ocean and dip down, far below the surface to play with his many sons and daughters, their songs and chirps lulling him to sleep as they danced around him.

He would wander and meet new creatures never seen by the human eye, he would sleep with dolphins, play with sharks, chill with the rays and travel with the whales.

And when the sun rose again, he would bid them farewell and return home to begin the cycle anew. His powers also evolved and developed over the years, and he'd kept a chart of what he'd been able to do, more and more pages filling up as he'd unraveled the secrets of his heritage.

By the time he'd been sixteen, everyone in their neighborhood had known he was a little quirky, and his family had been treated with wariness and distrust. Everyone had gazed at them as if their mere presence had made them uncomfortable, their smiles fake and their kindness empty, and Lance hadn't been able to take it, his brothers and sisters hadn't deserved to be shunned just because _he_ was different.

His parents shouldn't have had to suffer because Lance had been awkward and distant, so he'd vowed to himself to do his best to get as far away from them as possible. He'd graduated from his school with the best grades, found something he'd wanted to do, something he loved, and studied his ass off for months to make his dream come true.

And on July of the same year, he'd taken the exam and sent his application to the Galaxy Garrison, passing with flying colors on his first try and choosing to attend the facility that had been stablished on a far away country, away from home, away from those he loved.

Saying good bye had been hard, and tears had been shed as he'd left to board the plane that would take him to his new home for the time being, but deep down, he had known it was for the best, and he had never looked back.

Life got better after that, for both his family and himself, he'd met Hunk and Pidge, had adventures and got into heaps of trouble, learnt new things and found out more about himself and the world that surrounded him. He'd met Keith and Shiro and his life had taken a one eighty as they'd followed clues that lead to a mystery none of them had thought could ever exist.

And then he'd met _Blue_.

And it had been like stars had shone in her eyes as she'd gazed at him, an electric shock running through both of them at once, her purrs and sounds of affection loud inside his own mind, her warmth and care and adoration cradling him in a gentle embrace as he got swept by her awe and her pure, unadulterated love.

She had nuzzled him and curled around his middle, and her eyes had looked up at him shining bright with the need to adore him, to pamper him, to shower him with her tender touches and boundless devotion. It had been overwhelming, he can still remember the sensation of being filled to the brim with happiness, and the smile that had overtaken his face in that moment and the next after, when he'd been told that he was the Guardian spirit of _Water_ , and that it was why Blue choose him.

It had been funny to him, because as far as water had been concerned, he was their keeper, their protector, the one that soothed their troubled minds and shared his love with. They were his children, his brothers, his family, his responsibility, a part of his core that he couldn't diminish, and then Blue had become a part of that family, and she'd been overjoyed, vowed to keep him safe and happy, her vision of him something akin to a God.

His mother had told him, a few years before those events, that he'd been one of a kind, that cases like his were really rare, that there'd been probably no one else like him in the world, and that he shouldn't trust anyone with his secret, because no one would understand. And it had been true, his powers were strong, and the old ones that were his kin used to be revered as gods and deities, and worked hard all their lives to be able to wear that title with pride.

But no one had revered Lance, no one had prayed to him, his kind wasn't needed by humans, they would have torn him to pieces had they found his abilities. And so, he had dedicated all his efforts to help his children have better lives, make the pollution of modern society less hurtful, he cleansed the waters and purified the corruption he found, he refilled dry streams and put barriers where no human should have ever ventured about.

It had been something natural to him, like breathing.

And when Blue had taken them to a trip through space and they became paladins, Lance had been overjoyed, albeit sad at the same time, and he'd thought that, at least, he wouldn't have to worry about shifting and explaining to his team what he was. Because so far, no sea or ocean or water source they had found on missions had had the right components to even resemble Mar or pure water, and he had been able to swim and play and have fun without a care in the world.

He'd thought he didn't have to worry.

He'd been _wrong_ , the situation he found himself in, that day a few months into their journey, proved that.

\--

He was bored.

So absolutely _bored_. Allura had sent the team on a mission on this new galaxy they were in, something about supplies and bodyguards and some other info that he hadn't bothered to listen to, choosing instead to look around the foliage and the beautiful colors the planet's jungle had to offer.

They were divided in pairs, Hunk and Pidge had gone to give the supplies to the inhabitants of the planet, while Shiro and Allura carried out the diplomatic part of the mission, talking to the aliens and trying to get them to join their cause. And, of course, he'd been paired with Keith, because the universe hates Lance and doesn't want him to have a rest or be happy, like, _ever_.

And they were supposed to protect the little dudes from...whatever they needed protecting, but Keith wasn't talking, there was nothing going on, and he was getting fidgety and anxious at being cooped up for too long. He could hear the spirits around the planet singing to him, beckoning him to approach them so they could greet him like he deserved, show him the wonders of their little paradise and shower him with affection.

It was obvious there was a sea or an ocean here, and it wanted to meet the one that carried within himself the heart of water, the one that shone bright like a beacon and whose sole presence filled every water source and spirit with happiness and delight.

Blue purred, her thoughts asking for his well being, and he sent her a light nuzzle that she returned, cuddling around him and warming his cold hands, which he didn't feel because he was used to it. The little aliens they were escorting walked ahead of their lions, following a little path on the jungle floor, their tiny legs carrying them faster than Lance thought was possible.

They had been following them for about half an hour now, protecting them from threats, and he was feeling antsy and restless, wanting to go out there and take a breath of clean air, feel the moisture and humidity the forest had to offer. Thankfully, his wish came true not a tick later as the Loranians -as the aliens were called- stopped in their tracks, turning around to face the lions and making some hand gestures that Lance supposed meant for them to stop too.

"It looks like they want us to leave our lions, should we listen to them or what?" Lance spoke to Keith through the comms, praying to god he said _yes_ , because if he had to stay a second longer inside of Blue - _sorry girl_ \- he was going to flip.

"Allura told us to be ' _kind and understanding of their wishes_ ' so I suppose we can't say no, we have to keep them safe from whatever threat they _think_ they have."

"You think there's no danger? That they made it up or something?" He tilted is head in wonder, Blue imitating his movements and making him chuckle silently.

"I don't know, maybe they're just paranoid or overly fearful, but I have a bad feeling about this." Keith's voice was tight over the comms, and he was sure he was frowning right now.

"Then maybe we shouldn't leave our lions."He tried not to sound too disappointed.

"Like I said, Allura told us how important this alliance was, and they haven't done anything suspicious _yet_ , so we will do what they say for now. Besides, we have our bayards, and there seems to be nothing in the near vicinity of this jungle, so it's probably safe." Lance let out a groan, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Your ' _probably_ ' isn't very reassuring." Over the comms, Keith let out a huff, and ended the transmission before Lance could say anything else. He looked though the front screen and saw as the red paladin left Red, the particle barrier rising up immediately as the other stood there, waiting for Lance to do the same.

"Well, here goes nothing, see you in a bit, Baby Blue." She purred around him and sent him a warm embrace, the words ' _Be safe_ ' echoing softly, and he smiled, walking towards the ramp and jumping down, looking back to make sure that Blue's particle barrier was also up.

He then turned to Keith. "Well, which way are we supposed to go?" The red paladin motioned to the right with his head before walking in that direction.

"I spoke with the Loranians we were escorting, they said this jungle is difficult to navigate from the sky, and that the lions wouldn't be able to pass from here on out. They told me they would feel better if we followed them on ground, and there was a rest stop just a few feet ahead, they decided to go on since they know it's safe." Lance raised an eyebrow at that, feeling like things didn't add up, a bundle of nerves and anxiety unfurling inside his stomach, everything around him too hot and too close and he couldn't stand it.

So he took a second to analyze the air on the atmosphere, and, as soon as he was given the okay from the system, he was taking his helmet off, sucking in a deep breath and feeling like he'd just been reborn.

"Lance, what the hell are you doing.?" He glanced to his left, and saw Keith looking at him in annoyance. He knew it wasn't a good idea to wander around in an unknown planet without his helmet on, but it had become stifling, he'd felt like he was suffocating and needed to _breathe_.

"Look, dude, I was sweating like hell inside the helmet, this jungle is humid as hell and way too hot, and it was becoming unbearable, besides, I checked to make sure the air is breathable, and I'm going to put it back on in a tick, so no worries." Keith still didn't look convinced, frowning heavily at him as he walked, but all of that became unimportant when they reached the rest stop. Which was... completely empty, the only sound reaching his ears being a loud ' _Fuck_ ' that Keith let out.

"Okay, okay, there's...no one here. Did we fuck up? Tell me we didn't fuck up Keith, are they dead? Did some beast eat them? Oh my god." Keith tapped his helmet, probably to ask for either backup or a reading of their surroundings to find the missing Loranians. He didn't have time to do that, though, because Lance saw something glinting in the darkness from the corner of his eye, and his body moved before his brain could process what was happening, tackling the red paladin to the ground, his helmet flying out of his hand as they both went tumbling down.

Feeling slightly disoriented and dizzy, Lance tried to get up, hissing when his wrist flared at the movement, throbbing in pain, and he took a second to steel himself before he got to his feet, blaster in hand, and took aim towards the direction the shot had come from. He pressed the trigger with a quick movement, and waited patiently, smirking when a loud thud echoed throughout the forest, the sound of armor clattering to the ground too loud in the stillness that surrounded them.

"Shit, Lance, are you okay?" Keith approached him, sword clutched tight in his hand, appraising Lance from head to toe before focusing on his trembling left hand. " Is your wrist broken?" The red paladin took it in between his hands, assessing the damage and frowning when he saw blood slowly seeping through the sleeve of his undersuit, it looked like the shot had grazed his wrist, it wasn't anything too serious, but it burnt like hell.

"I'm fine, mullet, no need to worry, it's just a scratch." Keith blinked up at him, saying nothing, and then proceeded to take a few bandages out of the pockets of his armor, cradling Lance's hand softly while he expertly bandaged his wrist. Keith's movements were gentle and slow, making butterflies swirl inside his stomach as he took in the worry swimming inside Keith's eyes, feeling like he'd just traveled to an alternate reality or something.

"Thanks...." It was barely a whisper, and he had to focus so he could hear the rest. "Thanks for saving my life, Lance." And he felt himself smile, couldn't have stopped even if he wanted to, any other time, he would have gloated about it, or put himself on a pedestal for saving the great Keith Kogane. But in that moment, he was content with looking at the red paladin, how he bit his lip in concern, how his brows creased and his tongue peeked out as he concentrated on tying the bandage right, how his fingers were careful and his touches fleeting as he tried not to hurt him further.

Sometimes, he forgot that Keith wasn't just a ball of unadulterated rage and anger ready to knife anyone who got in his way, always moody and aloof. Sometimes, he forgot that Keith was also shy, insecure and gentle, bad at feelings and communication and completely inept at social cues.

Sometimes, he forgot that Keith didn't open up to anyone, and that it was difficult for him to trust people, - even more with someone like Lance who would tease him endlessly for every little mistake he made - , but he was trying his best to adapt and be better.

Sometimes, he forgot that Keith was human and had feelings and fears and troubles just like anyone, and it made him feel like the worst person in the universe.

So this time, he stopped pretending, stopped trying to act as if he hated Keith, let his facade crumble and stopped his acting, the one that he used to protect himself and his secret, to keep people at an arm's length, never letting anyone too close. This time, instead of teasing and arguing and flirting, he openly smiled at Keith, watching in fascination as the other gaped a little, hand tightening slightly on his wrist as Lance spoke.

"You're welcome, I've got your back." And for a tick, he thought that maybe Keith was't going to respond, that he had weirded him out with his sudden change of character. But then the corner of Keith's mouth quirked up, head bowed slightly, bangs covering his eyes, and Lance caught the tiny smile that lit up the red paladin's face, and wondered, not for the first time, if his acting had been worth it, when he'd been missing this the whole time.

Maybe it was time he opened up too, tried to be better too.

Keith's hand left his wrist and the moment shattered, both of them sobering up and getting in position, bayards held tight as they made their way towards where Lance had shot. They found a galran soldier on the floor, dead, the shot that Lance had delivered hitting it's target full on.

Both paladins looked at each other, frowning, and nodded their heads simultaneously, Keith reaching out to contact the team and ask for back up while Lance looked through the thick foliage in search of the missing Loranians. He walked for a while and didn't stop until he heard whispers, murmurs of high pitched voices Lance knew could only belong to the locals. He was about to go through a wall of leaves and bushes to meet them when he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Yesh, we did ash you ashked, we shent you the location of the paladinsh, we fulfilled our part of the agreement, now you fulfill yoursh." Lance froze, understanding crossing his face as he deflated, another planet that had sold them to the galra, another betrayal to add to the growing list. Sometimes, it was hard being a defender of the universe when some people threw all your efforts back to your face, it wasn't like he wanted parades and a party -not really-, but it would've been nice if they could stop with the lying and the treason.

He lefts as soon as he could, running back towards Keith to share the bad news with him. He'd barely gotten there when the red paladin was shouting his name, speeding in his direction and holding his good hand, turning him around and sprinting through the forest, breathing ragged and helmet askew.

"What happened?" He screamed, suddenly worried, well, more than he already was.

"The galra are here! They ambushed me, there was way too many, I needed to change locations and regroup with you, form a plan and maybe rescue the Loranians." Lance hummed in distress, the sound catching Keith's attention as he gazed back at him.

"You're not gonna like what I've got to say, but....the Loranians have betrayed us - Keith growled - sold us to the galra for god knows what, I caught them in the act." The red paladin tensed, lies and deceit being what he hated most, making Lance anxious and scared because, well, he was the master of deceit and pretend, honestly. And he dreaded to imagine how the other would feel if he revealed his true self to him....not gonna happen soon, no.

"Shit, I knew something was fishy, okay, we need to-" They were interrupted by a loud explosion, both of them getting knocked off their feet and falling to the ground in a heap, Lance groaning when his forehead hit the rocks, he was missing his helmet a lot now.

They quickly got to their knees, and Lance looked back, startled, when he heard a sizzling sound, mood plummeting to the ground when he noticed the sparks his jetpack was making, glancing at Keith to see he had the same problem plus a crack on his visor, great, _fantastic_.

"Fuck, we need to get out of here, _now_ , we have to decrease their numbers so we can go back to our lions, I contacted the team and they're having the same problem, they can't come help us." Keith sounded frantic, voice cracking slightly as he coughed around the dust that had fallen over them after the explosion.

"Okay, let's get to that, then." Keith barely had time to ask what he meant when Lance was shooting away, blaster clutched tight as he fired shot after shot, his eyes focused on the expanse of jungle before him, vision strained when he didn't dare blink, not wanting to miss.

Thud after thud followed and then galra soldiers were streaming out of the mess of trees, swords and laser guns at the ready to obliterate them. They didn't have the chance, though, because Keith was screaming then, launching himself at them and slashing, twirling, jumping, kicking in a flurry of movement that left Lance breathless, even thought he wasn't moving.

They continued like that, moving back slightly as the soldiers kept coming, working as a team and dispatching them with ease, watching each other's backs. But the influx of galran soldiers and sentries never stopped, and they had to retreat backwards through the jungle as they tried to keep the enemy at bay, to no avail. It seemed to go on for hours, and then they suddenly exited the thick jungle, and Lance heard a sound like chiming bells reach his ears, a sweet, distressed melodic voice warning him, yelling at him, ' _don't, don't'_ before he could understand what was happening.

He barely had time to look around, vaguely noticing some kind of drop ahead, and then he was shooting again, downing enemy after enemy, their numbers dwindling faster than before, and he knew they were nearly done, just a bit more. He had unknowingly relaxed, his shots never missing, but his attention wavering as his tiredness caught up to him, movements slowing down slightly.

And that's when everything went to shit.

He noticed too late the sentry to their right, hiding high on a tree, gun ready to fire, and he had to make a split second decision with time running low, so he lined up his shot way too fast before firing, the sound echoing througout the forest.

But the laser beam didn't stop charging, he had missed his shot, he had no time to do it again before the robot fired, and he barely had a tick to run over the scenario in his head; a cliff, a sea below, jetpack offline, a drop too big to survive, a crack on Keith's visor. His decision was made even before he'd thought about it, and he was running straight towards Keith, pushing him out of the way with a sad smile that the red paladin caught.

And then the shot fired, a loud booming sound echoing throughout the area, startled bird like creatures flying out in their haste to get away from danger, and Lance felt pain on his chest, burning and fierce, as the force of the impact sent him flying backwards, feet scraping the ground until....they weren't.

He felt weightless for a second, mouth opening to scream, and then he was falling fast and his breath was stolen away, stuttering on his chest as he gasped.

"LANCE!"

He heard a yell and the sounds of fighting, then silence, and a tick later the red paladin appeared over the edge of the cliff, eyes wild and frantic and radiating fear. He saw as Keith watched as he plummeted to the ocean below, his hand outstretched, reaching out for him, and their index fingers brushed, the contact fleeting, but he didn't get there in time, and Lance fell, hearing as Keith screamed his name again, the sound heart wrenching and raw with emotion.

"LANCE!"

He looked up, and saw as Keith tried his jetpack, sparks flying everywhere, he saw as the red paladin straightened, ready to jump, but just when his foot had gone over the edge, a familiar robotic hand held him back. He watched as Keith screamed at Shiro, pointing down, trying in vain to shake off the hands that restrained him, he saw as the red paladin shouted and yelled, his hands reaching out for him in desperation.

He wa safe, it was okay, Keith was okay, he was alive, Lance could - possibly - survive this fall, Keith could _not_ , it was a choice he didn't even have to make.

He sighed and gave up, accepting his fate.

Then he closed his eyes, and slept.

 


	2. "...voice screaming out wihtout breath..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finds himself alone, lost, and without means to communicate with his team. He learns how much grief his teammates had gone through in his absence, and discovers just how much he hates Keith's crying face, among other things.
> 
> He learns of legends long forgotten, about those with a similar destiny as himself, and the despair of knowing he will never met any of them, because the fates are cruel, people are greedy and selfish, and the universe hates Lance in general.
> 
> He tries his best to move on and not lose hope, but space is big, the chances of them reuniting slim, and his journeys are fruitless, leaving him a worried, lonely mess.
> 
> He resorts to logs as a coping mechanism.
> 
> If only he could've said those words in person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, i had a heart attack yesterday (figuratively), i opened this fics file, the one that was the 63 pages, the whole thing, and guess what? It was corrupted, completely blank, 63 pages of nothing. I swear to god i died a little inside, i panicked and 'nonononono'-ed, then remembered i had the 3 separate files for each chapter, but i didn't remember if i had saved the 3rd and last one. I nearly cried, but hey, guess what? Past me was smart and actually saved it, so yay! You gusy haven't lost this fic's ending *cries in relief*
> 
> It was like, my worst nightmare came true, so i'll take this moment to remind every writer, artist or the like to, save.your.stuff. Save it once, twice, on different files, on your phone, laptop, external hard drive, tablet, whatever. Save.your.work.
> 
> If you don't, you will regret it when your laptop decides being a bitch and erases everything, and i'm telling you, if i had lost the ending, i would have probably abandoned this fic, because i would have lost the drive and just....rewriting it would have felt wrong and nothing would have been the same, and just....no. So, save your work, you'll thank past you later.
> 
> Anyways, here comes chapter two! And with a pic *wink*, chapter three may take 2 days instead of one, because my job hates me, but it won't take long to be posted, i swear.
> 
> Have fun and stay awesome! Thanks to anyone that commented, suscribed, bookmarked, left kudos or took the time to read, you guys are the light of my life (besides Lance ofc).
> 
> Love, ULTI.

* * *

 

He woke up and undetermined amount of time later, cooconed into a white shell, and he had to take a second to think about what happened and get his bearings before he managed to put his ideas in order. They had been fighting Galra because the Loranians had betrayed them, they had been driven to a cliff, Lance had heard the ocean speak to him, he'd seen a sentry aiming towards Keith , Lance had missed his shot, the robot had fired, he'd decided to take the blast for Keith because the fall would've killed him, or he would have drowned because of the crack on his helmet.

Lance didn't have _that_ problem.

Even if he'd gotten hurt in the fall -besides the obvious laser wound he surely sported-, the water would have healed him, and he could breathe underwater, so no drowning issues there. He had decided to take the fall for him before he'd even thought about the consequences or anything else, in that moment, he'd just wanted to keep his teammate...his _friend_ safe, because he knew the other path meant Keith's death, and even if he hadn't been a water guardian, Lance would've still taken the red paladin's place, because he was selfish, he didn't want to lose anyone else.

He sighed, and watched as bubbles rose to the surface, only to be trapped against the cocoon that shrouded him, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise, then an incredulous yelp tore from his throat as he moved his hand in a sweeping motion to the right, the white blanket falling apart and going back to undulate softly behind him.

It was his _hair_ , he had shifted. But _how_? _Why_? On all the planets they had visited, he had never found one that shared the necessary components to make him shift, he thought he didn't have to worry about accidentally revealing his true nature to his team.

Guess he'd been wrong. _Great_.

It looked like, when he fell, he had changed, and his hair -that was kinda like algae, with some kind of free will - had created a barrier around him, surrounding him with it's tresses to protect him from the dangers of an uknown sea. Not that any sea in the universe would ever hurt _him_ , but it had been a safety measure, like an instinct to protect it's master, and he'd also been hurt, bleeding from his chest and forehead, so it had probably been wary of anything that dared approach.

Instinctively, he reached a hand towards his chest, and saw that his wound had closed, as good as new, not even a scar remained, and he hummed in thought before a wobbly, sweet voice reached his ears, and for the first time since waking up, he looked around and took in the colorful and beautiful scenery before him.

This sea was pink, the deeper areas a strong magenta and purple color, shining a soft orange where the light shone upon the surface. Multicolored corals swayed slightly in his direction, and white and silvery plants moved with the currents, as if dancing. He saw as strange creature approach him, but it stayed away, not daring getting too close, observing him as he floated there, hair curling and flowing around him freely, taking in all their surroundings.

After a tick, he swam forward effortlessly, hand outstretched and waiting, and the creatures that had been watching in nervous anticipation nuzzled it softly, small chirps and whines echoing around as more and more of the sea inhabitants came to greet him. A jellyfish like being that had the shape of a doughnut nuzzled his neck, and Lance giggled, the sound reverberating in the wide expanse that surrounded him, making the pink sea - which he was going to call Rosa - shuffle and caress his face, a warm undercurrent tickling his ears as it brushed past his hair.

He navigated the seemingly endless sea, looking around in wonder and amazement, speaking with the water spirits and other creatures, trying to find out how much time had passed. But time was meaningless for being such as the ones that dweled in the depths of the sea, and not even the old ones, older than anything on that planet, had been able to tell Lance for just how long he'd been asleep.

He was ashamed to admit he panicked a _little_.

But when he calmed down enough, he raised his hand, controlling the water and molding it at his will, using it to propel himself right to the surface, breaching it and floating above for a fraction of a second before he slowly hovered down, water rippling softly as his feet touched the surface and stayed there, one of his many abilities; _walking on water_.

He looked around, watching as the planet's sun shone down onto the wide expanse of the ocean, bathing the planet in a soft, white glow, and he startled when a tendril of water rose besides him, something floating inside as Rosa seemed to beckon him to reach towards it.

It was his helmet, the one he lost back then, still broken and offline, no matter what he did, he couldn't make it function, but for some reason, he felt better at having it, and he thanked Rosa before holding it tight in his hand, thinking.

He had to gather information on just what happened after he fell, where his teammates were, and how many time had passed, he just hoped it hadn't been long, the idea of being alone in an unforeseen future unnerved him. So he resigned himself to use his powers to find out what he needed to know, and wielded another one of his abilities; _memory reading_ , which allowed him relive a memory that had been recorded by a body of water from their point of view.

He slowly, gently, kneeled over the water's surface, open hand touching it and staying there, the other one clutching his chest as his helmet rested to his left.

He began focusing, humming a tone that reverberated in his mind, Rosa joining him after a while, their voices mingling and becoming one, his mind fusing together with hers as he sought the memories he needed, brushing past feelings and images of a time long past, moving onwards to a more recent future until he caught sight of red and blue.

He stopped dead in his tracks, took a deep breath, and plunged in.

\--

He saw himself, falling, watched from a distance as his body plummeted down, eyes closed and body relaxed. He watched as his shape fell into the water, hard, and didn't resurface, bubbles dying down after a while as a dreaded stillness took over the place.

Then the screams began.

"Shiro! _Shiro_ what are you _doing_? We need to get to him! He doesn't have his helmet and he's hurt, he's going to _drown_!" Keith's voice was hysterical, his shrill tone making Lance quake in anxiousness, and he watched, from a small stream to the left of the red paladin's position, as he struggled and scratched at Shiro, trying to break free.

"Keith, calm down! We need to find another way down! You can't just jump in after him, your jetpack is broken!" Their leader held Keith's arms tighter, expression somber and gaze jumping from Keith to the cliff at intervals. It was clear that he, too, wanted to go after him, right _now_ , but he needed to know Keith wasn't going to do anything stupid, needed to know he was safe.

"And so was _his_! We're just wasting time here, we need to go!" And then Hunk appeared, followed by Pidge and Allura, who ran towards them and told them they could go down on their speeders and search for him that way. Lance had never seen Keith move so fast in his life, and it made his chest clench painfully as he watched his friends' panicked and horror stricken faces, all of them dashing towards the vehicles -now shaped in a form more suited for navigating water- and drove down the mountain and into the sea.

Keith and Shiro were sharing the Black one, whilst the others used their respective speeders to search for him, all of them shouting his name and scouting the area for any sign of him.

"I talked with the Loranians." Said Allura ." Their leader said that the Galra had kidnapped his daughter, and only if he set this trap for us, would they give her back safely, there wasn't any ill will on their actions, but...." She trailed off, face pained as she raked over every little crevice, eyes moving wildly, looking for movement, anything.

She said they had rescued his daughter for him, but that the Galra had no intentions of giving her back, wanting to force them to cooperate with the empire holding her hostage, and he'd been so ashamed that he'd fallen for a lie so obvious, that he vowed to do anything for Voltron, help in anyway they could. But Allura hadn't been able to trust him back then, and she'd left as soon as Keith's panicked screaming of Lance's name had come over their helmets, face set on a expression that promised chaos if one of her precious paladins were hurt.

He watched as they searched for him for what seemed like hours, screaming his name, wandering the expanse of the sea closest to where he'd fallen from, not leaving any part of it untouched. He watched as Keith gazed up at the cliff, noticing the long drop and the sharp rocks at the bottom, saw as he bit his lip and his eyes watered, only for him to force them back and contiue screaming his name, until his throat was raw and his voice broke and his hands hurt from clenching them too hard.

They had changed tactics after a while, putting on their helmets and diving down, all of them looking for him underwater, their gazes terrified and desolate as they came up empty handed, only to dive again and again, never stopping. He saw, from Rosa's point of view, underwater, as Keith moved rocks, corals and debris, he watched as he mouthed his name even knowing no one could hear, as he dived down and further down, more than his suit was made to withstand , hissing when the pressure held him down and left him breathless, eyes filled with pain and whole body hurting.....but he never stopped looking for him, never stopped saying his _name_.

And Lance knew they wouldn't find him, knew his body had been taken to the depths, were no one could ever hurt him, sleeping on the deeper parts of the sea so he could heal, cradled in Rosa's warm embrace as she sung a lullaby for his pain, for their loss.

For the goodbyes.

The paladins rose to the surface and got on the speeders, not a sound was heard, and then, Hunk, his best friend since kindergarten, one of the people he cherished with all his heart, began weeping softly, and he felt his heart break at the sight. Pidge followed suit, breath hitching and hiccups leaving her lips as she cried, hands clutching at Hunk's back to keep herself from crumbling, and even Allura and Shiro teared up, covering their eyes with their hands, a few stray tears falling down their cheeks.

"What are you doing? We need to keep looking! Why are you stopping?" Keith took his helmet off, eyes wide and full of anger and desperation, his hair a mess and parlor pale, looking like he was about to keel over.

"Keith...." Shiro's tone was pitying, and it only worked to aggravate Keith even more." He's gone....he.....he didn't have his helmet, and it's been hours now....he hasn't resurfaced and....he might have been unconscious when he fell....there's no way...." He trailed off, and Keith let out a roar, growling low on his throat as he continued yelling with his wrecked voice.

"No, no! He's _not_ gone! How can you say that! He saved my life! Twice! I'm going to find him, and thank him, and tell him....! T-tell him...." Keith deflated, hands falling to his sides as he fell on his knees. " He's _fine_ , he had to be, I'm sure..I'm sure he washed out on some shore, some beach, he must be there, waiting for us...he has to be...." Shiro looked about to break, like he didn't want to say his next words, but unfounded hope would only hurt Keith.

"I'm sorry Keith....Coran...h-he...he's been searching the planet with the castle's scanners while we looked down here...he said....that there is no sign of him....his signal has been lost...there is....there is no trace of him left." He watched as Keith froze, his hopes crushed into tiny little pieces, it looked like he wasn't even breathing, so still, so overcome with denial, he didn't blink, his breath didn't hitch, his eyes didn't water.

But the next moment, he broke, and Lance broke with him.

Keith screamed, raw and loud, sobbing and weeping like he'd never done so before, eyes shut as the tears cascaded down his cheeks, never-ending, mouth open wide as he wailed and cried, hands clutching his chest like a part of him had been ripped out. It was the most heart wrenching thing he'd ever seen, and he felt himself crying too, breath hitching as he stuttered, chest heaving, wanting to tell him that he was _there_ , he was _okay_ , but this was an image of the past, and he could do nothing but watch.

He watched as Hunk and Pidge joined in on the wailing, helmets off as they cried and screamed his name, watched as Allura hugged Shiro and cried for the loss of her newfound family, her precious paladin, regret taking over her for not getting to know him better, for wasting the time they had together. He watched as Shiro tried to stay composed, but ultimately failed, reaching for his little brother and enveloping him in a hug as he cried softly, muttering about failing as a leader and a friend, and how much he wanted to go back in time and change things.

He watched as Keith wept and bawled, grieving his loss, muttering things that got lost in his cries, unfulfilled promises, regrets and things left unsaid, words stuttering and getting caught in his throat as he tried to convey what he never could when he'd been there. He watched as his family fell to pieces before him, wondering how he never noticed just how much they loved him, why he'd never thought of telling them the truth before, why he'd tried to keep them away, why he'd been so scared to trust them, why, why, _why_.

He would have done it in a heartbeat if he'd known it would spare them this agony.

Brushing away his tears, he saw Keith gripping Lance's helmet tight, eyes still filled with too may tears to see, and a soft whisper of a muttered goodbye got caught on his lips as he kissed the piece of armor, letting it fall from his grasp and towards the sea. Then the team was driving away towards the shore, and his point of view changed to that of a small river, close to where Red and Blue where, their forms cuddling around each other.

The red paladin appeared suddenly, and he fell to his knees before Blue, eyes filling with tears again. "Blue...I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I could't save him, I couldn't reach his hand in time, and now hes gone....he's...." Keith bowed down, forehead touching the floor as he sniffed and cried softly, and Blue quivered, sending her energy to the confines of the planet, searching for him, for his quintessence...but she wasn't going to find him no matter how hard she tried.

His life energy always got covered up when he was sleeping and hurt, as if he was on a state of apparent death to heal faster and keep predators from hunting him - another thing he'd learnt on his teenage years - , he was as good as dead in her eyes, and he felt himself tremble when Blue rose up and let out a deafening roar, her pain and anguish ever present and never-ending as she grieved the loss of her paladin.

She pounced on the floor, and Keith yelped as ice started forming, covering the ground in a thick coating that spread rapidly over the jungle and forest, making every creature sleep or hide and the weather cold and unforgiving. He saw from multiple points of view as the whole planet got covered in Blue's ice, only leaving the sea untouched because she knew he'd loved the sea, and he could feel what her emotions had been at the moment.

Sadness, grief, anger, desperation, pain, _retribution_.

She had wanted the inhabitants to suffer from the pain they had inflicted, upon her, upon his family, upon his teammates, upon the _universe_. Wanted them to think through and through what they had done, what their actions had caused, how their selfishness had taken a life that had shined brighter than any star in the whole galaxy.

Lance let out a whimper, a breathy whisper escaping his lips as he got overwhelmed by Blue's emotions, feeling like his chest was being torn in half with longing, wishing he could reassure her, bask in her presence like he always did when he felt sad.

He raised his eyes and saw as Red head butted Blue, nuzzling her neck as she powered down indefinitely, unsure when she would work again or if she ever would, losing her light and her drive to fight. Keith got up from the ground and sniffled, a painful whine leaving his lungs, eyes filled with raw pain as he looked at Blue, unmoving, then he boarded Red and held Blue as they took flight, the other lions following suit as they landed on the castle and left.

They didn't come back as the days passed by, and Lance understood that an alliance with them had been thrown out the window with his ' _death_ ', petty and unprofessional at it may had been, his friends didn't want anything to do with the people that caused his demise, and if it had been the other way around, Lance sure as hell wouldn't have wanted to either.

They had risked the whole universe without even thinking of asking Voltron for help first, their selfishness cost every other planet in need the loss of the most powerful warrior to ever exist, the only one able to battle Zarkon.

His team's anger was understandable and valid.

Sighing in defeat, Lance slowly let go of the tendrils that connected him to Rosa's memory, and the vision faded out as he watched the ice reflecting the light of the sun on a frozen flower.

\--

He came to with a gasp, face wet with tears and hand clutching his chest so hard that it felt like his heart was being ripped out, and he took a minute to breath and calm his trembling limbs and flaring nerves, trying not to panic.

From what he'd gathered as he watched the days pass by in Rosa's memory, roughly a month had passed, and the sole idea of it made nausea crawl through his stomach and up his throat, feeling guilty like he never had before. It looked like his wounds had been worse than he'd thought, and the ones he received from the fall had been disastrous, leaving him half dead and comatose, which explained why it took so long for him to wake up.

His body absorbed the water's nutrients and minerals, anything he needed to live and heal, and he didn't have to worry about eating or drinking or anything, since his body was made to be able to survive on water only if the need arose.

Still....a month was a very long time, and his team....they thought he was dead....just remembering their heartbroken expressions made him tear up again, and he shook his head, steeling himself and thinking about what he was going to do next. He got up and stood on the surface, a few fish swimming around his feet in circles, asking for his attention, but his eyes were strained forward, looking as the sun settled over the horizon, basking the world into a myriad of colors.

The wind blew softly, a warm breeze blowing his hair and making it swirl behind him as he stood, unmoving, clutching his helmet for dear life, the last connection he had to his team, and he gazed absent-mindedly into the distance, remembering their laughs and smiles, the hugs, the fights, the teasing, the trust, the warmth they shared.

He stomped his foot, the water rippling as he made a decision, he was going to find his team, he was going to apologize, and he was going to be sincere and tell them the truth. He would talk with Keith and make things _right_ , stop pretending, stop pushing them away, he wasn't going to give up until he saw their faces again, until he heard their voices once more.

Determination burning bright inside his ribcage, he breathed in, gaze fixated ahead, and walked.

He walked until the sun had gone away and the starry sky stared back at him, stars twinkling in his eyes as he lay down onto the surface, trying to make out constellations that didn't exist, hair tucked around him like a blanket as his thoughts molded and changed, Rosa's song lulling him to sleep.

The cycle repeated for days, he walked until the day ended, and slept under the night sky, wishing and longing for the company of his team, yearning to be with them once more, telling himself to go on, _one more day, just one more step, do it for them, to see them again, don't give up._

After five days, he finally reached the shore.

Stepping on firm ground had never felt so good, and he fell on his hands and knees, clutching at the ground in desperation, he had thought for a while there that he would never find land again, and while he could survive on water only, it didn't make his situation any less frightening. He could have used his powers to make things easier, but he'd never wanted to rely too much on them, things like walking on water, memory reading, manipulating water, shared vision and breathing underwater were simple things to do, the things he usually worked with.

But among his growing list of abilities, there were some that he never wanted to use, shapeshifting, for example, was something he never wanted to do ever again. With that ability, he could transform his body into water and flow with any river or sea or similar, he'd done it once, on accident, and his thoughts and individuality had dwindled down so fast he nearly lost sight of himself.

He'd barely managed to come back, and the scars that it had left on him, both physical and mental, had been way too severe, and he'd bowed to his mother that he would never do it again, not that he wanted to, of course. He still wasn't sure of his full potential, and there were many unknown powers hiding inside his body, waiting to be unlocked, but he wanted them to come to him naturally, and he wasn't a fan of using them to his advantage, so using them to ease the situation didn't even cross his mind.

He straightened and looked around for the first time, now that his ideas were in order, and noticed that he was back in the jungle, the same one in which he had fought with Keith against the Galra, the same one that Blue had frozen in her rage.

"Woah...she really did a number on this planet, just look at this ice." He poked a flower, wincing when the ice burnt his skin. " It won't melt for a long time, and if I remember correctly, the Loranians don't do well in the cold....they must have gone underground." It had been a piece of information that Allura had shared on the debriefing, and the sole bit of data he'd managed to retain, for some reason.

He walked through the frozen jungle, awed at the sight, feeling equal parts proud, and guilty, but he didn't want to dwell on it too much, since the locals were at fault, too, and if Lance hadn't been as special as he was, he would have died for real, and Voltron would have been lost. And they would have been responsible for the slavery of the whole known universe, all because they didn't think to search for another way, to ask for help, so, honestly, the consequences they faced were kind of mild, in the face of what they'd done.

Still....he needed help if he was to contact his team or get out of the planet, and for that he needed the Loranians to get out of their burrows and help him find a ship or build one, so, as much as he wanted to leave the ice where it was until I melted naturally, he couldn't do that.

He walked towards a big boulder and defrosted it, sitting cross-legged on it and clasping his hands together, humming a sweet tune that carried with the wind and gathered the water spirits. His mother always said that Nymphs - like him, that's his species - had beautiful voices that they could use to attract their kin and familiars, to ask for their help or guidance or just their company. And they never refused, feeling drawn towards their guardian, always willing and overjoyed to share their affection and reverence with him if he asked.

That would come in handy right now.

The small spirits looked like fireflies, shining a light blue as they flew around him, joining in his little song as they chirped and giggled, asking without a voice what their sweet guardian wanted from them. He sent the image of the ice melting, defrosting, turning into water that would flow back into the ocean, mixing within her waters to form part of her. And the small ones understood, resting along the expanse of his hair, lending him their power as he raised his hands above his head, opening his clasped palms to the side and letting the energy flow.

It was like a ray of sunlight had fallen upon the world, and bit by bit the steady drip of water could be heard, falling on the earth and disappearing, mixing into the rivers and streams and traveling back to the sea. It took a few hours, but by the time midday had passed, the ice had melted, sounds of birds chirping and creatures roaming about were heard again, life came back to the planet steadily, and within hours, so did the Loranians.

As soon as they had caught sight of him, though, the Loranians had been scared shitless, they kneeled and bowed on the floor, and Lance had been frozen in confusion until their leader spoke

"Great spirit of water, have you come to take revenge on us?" Lance let out a high pitched sound, not quite understanding what he meant. " We angered you, we know this, we caused harm to the good people that came to help, harm that cannot be undone." The small Loranian raised his head, looking straight into his eyes.

"I beg you, please, do not punish my people, it was all my idea, my daughter was in danger and I foolishly believed what the Galra told me, I trusted their words instead of the benevolent soldiers that risked their lives for us." Lance just hummed, brows creasing, thinking about what to say, it looked like the small guy took it as displeasure, though.

"I know what I did was unforgivable, an innocent soul died because I was scared and didn't think things through, I will do whatever you say, anything you want, just please, spare my people." Lance shook his head, sighing.

"Look, what you did was wrong, and I won't say the betrayal didn't hurt, but you weren't the first, and you won't be the last. Besides, at least I'm not dead, am I?" The leader looked at him back again, and seemed to take in his armor, a look of horror crossing his features.

"Goddess almighty - he bowed his head to the ground - please, please forgive me, I didn't mean to end your life. You being reborn as a water god can only mean that your resentment is strong, and if it's revenge you want, you can have my life." Lance just gaped, wondering just how the guy had arrived to that conclusion, and what this people believed in and worshipped, because he thought that after his death, Lance had been reborn as a water spirit out of spite. And while that wasn't a bad thought - he was bitter about it, he won't lie - he didn't have time for guilty trips or redemption or anything, what he needed was a ship.

"I see, it is not revenge I want, if I wanted that, I wouldn't have melted the ice that trapped you underground. What I need is a way to get out of this planet, a spaceship or a communicator, or both. Can you do that?" The leader bowed his head even lower, if that was even possible, and all the villagers followed, most of them trembling in fear of his retribution.

"Yes, yes, if that is what it takes to appease you, we will. There are some materials we can use to repair a pod that was broken, we will begin immediately." He hummed affirmatively, and watched as all the Loranians divided into groups, each of them having a different task assigned to them and running away to accomplish it.

It took only a whole day for them to repair the small ship - they were faster than any race Lance had ever seen - and they barely interacted with him on that time, only approaching to offer him food and drink and some blankets when night came and the weather turned harsh.

When dawn came, the ship looked as good as new, and they had even painted it blue, with the Voltron symbol standing proud colored in white, the contrast a nice touch to the changes they had done to it. The Loranians stood to the left side of the ship, all lined up and ready to send him off, probably happy that they were going to get rid of him, still fearful of his revenge even though he had shifted back to his human form.

Before boarding the ship, though, he had one last thing to do, and he took a small device out of his suit, the item thin and long like a finger, made of metal with a red light on one of the ends that flashed at regular intervals. He pressed the red light and took a deep breath, waiting until he heard a beep to begin speaking.

"Guys, if you're hearing this, this is Lance, I'm alive, some things happened and I...survived that fall, i can kinda....breathe under water? I'll explain more if...we ever meet again, but....I just wanted you to know I'm fine. I'm going to leave and search for you, I don't even know if I'll be able to do it, but I just don't want to stay here and wait for something that might not even happen, so...." He exhaled, feeling hopeless even before he began his journey.

" So if you hear this, try and find me, I will do the same, I hope we see each other again....Lance, over and out." He tapped the red light again and watched as it turned blue, glowing softly, he then walked to a tree and hung it there, securing it tightly before turning to look at the leader, who watched him with anxious eyes.

"I'm going to leave now, but I need to ask a favour of you." The leader nodded in earnest, gaze mildly terrified, and Lance held back the urge to groan. "I need you to keep this device safe, and if Voltron ever comes back - though I don't think so - I need you to show it to them, understood?" The alien nodded, assuring him that they would protect it with their lives to atone for their crime - no matter how many times Lance told them he wasn't actually dead - and that they would do as he said if Voltron appeared again.

Having nothing more to say or do in that planet, he quickly said goodbye to Rosa and all the nice spirits that lived there, boarding the small ship full of supplies and items that the Loranians had insisted on giving to him. He steered the pod towards the sky, gripped the controls tight, and took off, not sparing a glance to the planet that had brought him and his teammates such grief.

It wasn't like he was one to hold grudges, but the universe was big, like, immensely big, infinite, maybe, and the chances of him reuniting with his teammates were....infinitesimal - it was one of Hunk's favorite words - and there was the possibility that he was going to be alone forever, or as close as he would get to that.

So yeah, he was bitter and kinda mad about it, and low key panicking and ready to cry at any moment, but he had not time to do that if he wanted to up his chances of reuniting with Voltron again, so he held on strong and kept moving forward, gaze focused solely on the future.

The stars passed him by as the ship sailed through the vast expanse of the galaxy.

\--

It took at least three days to reach the next planet on the galaxy he was in, three days of boredom and anxiety and feeling cooped up, pacing like a caged animal ready to pounce on the first sign on civilization that he happened upon. His wishes were answered, but in the worst way possible; his ship malfunctioned, right as he was entering the atmosphere of the planet, a white, shimmering light blinding him as he crashed into the ocean.

Good news: he crashed into the ocean, ensuring that he would not die.

Bad news: he crashed into the ocean, so his ship got totaled, his supplies lost, and again, he was stranded and with no way to leave.

Great.

He had rescued whatever he could from the wreckage, trying to keep the items safe as he swam to the surface, noticing with surprise and annoyance that he had shifted again, for whatever reason. The ocean around him - which he nicknamed Platina - was a stark white, silver hues shining like metal where the light of their sun, a big ball of grey light, shone onto it, making everything way too blinding and hard to stare at.

Platina was a relatively new ocean, had been born just a few hundreds of years ago, and she was delighted by his presence, having never met another of his kind, and she poked at him, nuzzled his neck and giggled, her song sounding like chiming bells and the ring of a xylophone.

She guided him towards the shore, assuring him that the locals were intelligent and kind creatures, and that they would help him as much as they could, the small spirits inhabiting the planet - that looked like blue hummingbirds - seemed to agree with that thought.

As soon as he landed on solid ground, the locals were swarming him - they looked like cartoon bears, all round and soft, but their clothes and the twinkling in their eyes denoted rational thought - they were looking him up and down, analyzing him, and he hunched in on himself, not too keen on the attention.

"We are sorry if we have unsettled you, Blue one, it is the first time our planet has received one of your kind." Lance nodded - he was doing that a lot lately - and proceeded to explain his situation to the locals - Inas, Platina said - wondering if they could help him.

"I see, it is quite unfortunate, we do not know how to track Voltron's signal, the best we can do is emit radio waves on different frequencies with a message, and hope they tune into it and come to us."

"Yeah...it was a long shot, but I had to try anyway." He smiled at the Ina, the major, he said he was, and the other returned it, although rueful and guilty.

"As for your other predicament...we can help with your travel troubles, we are known to make some of the best ships on this side of the galaxy; durable, strong, fast, and they rarely malfunction. So if you're willing to wait for a while..." The major smiled at him, this time excited and hopeful, and when Lance agreed to stay until the ship was ready, his smile blossomed, lighting up his face as he reached for Lance's hand, guiding him towards the town square.

"My children and wife will feel blessed, to know we have the privilege of meeting one of the Blue guardians, and a paladin of Voltron no less! Oh, they will not believe their eyes." Lance snorted, telling him it wasn't anything important, that _he_ wasn't that important. Platina growled in the distance denying his claims and wishing to smack some sense into him. The humingbirds did that task for her, pecking his cheeks and forehead as punishment.

(It tickled more like it hurt, but he didn't say anything.)

"Oh no no no, you don't understand. Let me tell you a story, if I may; in the time before the galran war touched upon this galaxy, many hundreds of years ago, our ancestors populated this lands, and, among them, were those born with an incredible affinity to water. We called them The Blue ones or The Guardians, people that were able to communicate with any kind of water source and harness their power." Lance nodded, enthralled.

"They could shape shift and manipulate water at their will, they were kind and sweet people, who usually trained their powers since young, achieving a king like status once they were able to harness all of the ocean's strenght. They spoke to our seas for us, conveying their wishes to our people, they kept us safe from invaders and enemies, regulated our climate and kept the natural order going. And we, in turn, revered them and took care of all their needs, but they were so selfless and gentle, so compassionate..... that they only asked to live among us, to continue protecting this lands and the people they cared about. " Lance hummed, processing the information and moving his hand into a 'go on' manner.

"Life continued like that for many years, peaceful and bright, but there are always those that seek power. There were some individuals that were filled with envy and fear for the guardians, and that baseless fear became hate with time, a hate so strong that it lead them to torture and kill The Guardians on a pointless crusade to steal their gift." Lace gasped, horrified, how could someone just....do that to another person because they were jealous? What had they hoped to accomplish?

"It was useless, though, because The Guardians were born as such, and only them were able to communicate with the oceans, so stealing their gift was impossible. But even so, those people grew in number, hoping to become rulers and kings, tyrants and conquerors, and more and more Guardians were killed in horrendous ways, until one day, they stopped being born."

"The oceans had had enough, their children were being killed without reason by some envious, greedy beings that dared think they were worthy of the ocean's love, those people took their sweet sons and daughters and slaughtered them. The oceans cried and wept and screamed, and then, one night, every ocean on this galaxy roared in unison, their waters crashed angrily and sent whirlwinds and tornadoes towards land, seeking the sinners and the guilty with a fierceness never seen before."

"Some say that the tornadoes swallowed them deep into the waters, never to return, others say they were torn to pieces as revenge for their wrongdoings, or drowned were they stood, without mercy. But my ancestor, the one that wrote about this legend, said that the oceans weren't so kind, that they imposed onto them a punishment worse than death, he said that they took them to an uknown place that cannot be found by normal means, trapping them there forever so they could repent for their sins."

"No one was ever able to find what really happened, and the oceans became quiet again, their waters calm and still, and, even as the years passed, no more Guardians were born, and with time, people forgot about the truth of those beings, and their existence became a legend, a children's tale." Lance stopped walking, brain trying to process what he just heard, it sounded so much like him, what he could do, who he could talk to...it was so similar he felt like crying.

Because he might have been able to meet someone like him, and he wouldn't have been alone anymore, the last of his kind....but everyone that shared his powers were already dead, and he couldn't help the bitterness that came with knowing he was completely alone, never to meet someone that shared his gift....it was a solitude that tore him up inside.

"And then you came! And I can tell you're not exactly like our Guardians, but you're really similar, and we hope to make you feel at home until you have to leave." He had no other choice but to follow the major to his home, where he introduced him to his wife and daughter, both eager to know more about him and his culture, marveling at his long hair, watching as it slowly shortened and changed back to it's usual color.

He spent the night chatting with Loi (the major's daughter), indulging her on her whims and braiding her hair, putting ribbons and other accessories into it. When morning came, the major gave him a tour of the planet, showing him the rainbow waterfalls, the shining golden trees, a lake whose waters seemed to reflect the universe, stars swirling on it's depths. So many wonders and beauty, that he'd wanted to have a camera with him to immortalize such wonderful sights and preserve them forever.

Then he remembered he had his phone, and proceeded to do just that, thinking about showing his friends when they were together again....a thought that deviated into thinking about how they were doing, were they safe? Could they form Voltron without him? Were they looking for him? Had they forgotten already? Were they near? Far? Forever out of his reach?

Tears came unintentionally to his eyes, he wanted to see them again, wanted to hear their voices, he wanted their smiles, their touches, their laughs, the shared jokes and warmth...he wanted his family back...he wanted...he wanted Keith. Good god, he hadn't even.....he'd never told him....was that a regret he was going to take with himself to the grave? Words left unsaid because he was too stubborn and scared to admit to his feelings?

He wouldn't have even noticed he'd begun weeping softly, if it hadn't been for the hummingbirds nuzzling his cheeks, brushing away the tears with their wings as the major panicked, wondering if he'd done something to offend him.

"No, no, I just.....I miss my family, is all." The small alien understood, and tried his best to cheer him up and kep his mind occupied during his stay, teaching him their language, their myths, about their oceans and culture and how their galaxy worked. He learnt that every planet was a water planet and had an ocean, and much like the Inas, they worshipped and cared about the Guardians, so Lance would be safe on his travels, which was a relief, if he was being honest.

The major said they would probably aid him on his quest and take care of his needs, because they respected the Blue Ones and held them on high regard, and, as long as Lance wouldn't disrespect them in anyway, they would welcome him with open arms. It was a small mercy on this journey that he was beginning to think was pointless, but would keep on doing anyways. He would keep moving forward until his body gave out or he lost hope.

He prayed that never came to happen.

On day six of his stay, the major took him to a clearing in the forest and showed him his ship, and Lance swore he nearly cried, because the villagers had taken the liberty to paint it, and they had colored it blue and white -just like his old trashed ship, the one the Loranians gave him-, with the symbol of Voltron on the front. He probably cried a bit, but was quick to wipe away the tears and turn to face all the people that had worked so hard on this, so he could continue with his journey.

"Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me." He bowed, and the Inas gasped, muttering about ' _being blessed_ ' and ' _such a kind soul'_ among other things.

"No, we thank you for staying with us, your presence has reminded us once again of the wonderful times when The Guardians were still alive, when we could speak with our oceans and help protect our planets. You purified our waters and redirected our streams to the right places, you spoke with the sea and taught her things that she'd only dreamed about." Everyone before him bowed then, smiling softly, showering him with gifts and supplies for his journey, wishing him good luck and a kind fate, saying that they would pray so he could be reunited with his loved ones.

He put everything inside his ship, and before he left, he took out - once again- the recording device that he'd left on the previous planet, asking the major to keep it safe. The other agreed, and left with Loi hot on his heels, the small alien waving goodbye at him, leaving him some privacy to record his message, which he appreciated.

Lance took a deep breath and clicked the red light.

"Hey guys, I still don't know if you found the first message I left you, or....or if you'll ever find this one, either, but I'm leaving it here just in case, so you can follow my trail, like breadcrumbs, yeah? Anyway, I'm still alive and kicking, the people here were really nice and helped me lots, they even made me a new ship, can you believe that? It's really cool, blue and white with the voltron symbol on it....I wish I could show you, I really miss you guys, even just the sound of your voices would be welcome right now." His breath hitched, and he had to take a second to calm himself and not sob while he was recording.

"I really don't know if I'm ever going to see you guys again, but I don't want to say too much, I don't want this to sound like my last words to you or....or a goodbye. I just hope to see you again, I thought I knew what loneliness was while in space, or in the castle, but nothing compares to the feeling of being completely alone without knowing if it's going to go on forever." He bit his lip, clutching the device so tight he feared it would break.

".....I'm scared, I miss you.....please find me." He touched the button again and the light changed to blue, ending the recording, he'd been close to having a breakdown, and that wouldn't do, he had to keep strong, keep going, if he wanted to have a chance of his team finding him, he couldn't give up.

He clenched his eyes tight and tried with all his might not to scream, picturing his teammates cheering him on, asking him to move forward, don't stop. It filled with with enough determination to take flight, but not before he gave the device to the major, who assured him he would keep it safe and give it to Voltron if they ever landed on their planet.

Afterwards, he took a seat and learnt the controls, adapting quickly, as only water could, and within minutes, he was soaring through the sky, cotton candy like clouds passing him by as he breached the atmosphere, finding himself once more in space.

It was a long journey after that.

\--

He traveled many planets, on his quest to meet his friends, and in every single one, he got acquainted with an ocean, each of them kind and caring and trying to soothe his sadness to the best of their ability. He saw sights that seemed to be taken out of a dream, while others were so fantasy-like, he doubted they were even real, sometimes.

The people there were always welcoming, and he met different cultures and species, all of them kind and respectful, always willing to help him with his troubles and try to quell the anguish that seemed to consume him more and more every day that passed.

He always left a recording device on each planet he visited, and he noticed, with time, that he'd unknowingly stopped addressing all the paladins, focusing instead on his biggest regret, and talking to Keith with the devastating knowledge that he red paladin would probably never hear his messages.

But it made him feel better, he'd lost hope after the eighth planet, one month into his travels, it'd been then that he'd decided there was no way the paladins would ever hear his recordings, and he resigned himself to leave them as diary entries, sort of. A way to vent his frustrations and desperation, his regrets and sorrows, the feelings he was never able to tell, it felt, in a way, as if he was talking to Keith, even if he knew he wasn't, and it was the only thing keeping him sane.

\--

_**[Paladin log nº 3 : Day 153 ]** _

_"So, this is the third planet I've visited, there's also an ocean here, a black one, it was kinda creepy at first, but she's really nice, I decided to call her Noche, and she actually loved that. The people here look like giant birds, but their intelligence is astounding, I think Pidge would like this place, she'd feel at peace with her own kind. -He laughed- Anyway, I'm still doing okay, I have rations and stuff and no danger seems to lurk around, so I'm on my way to the next planet, if you guys hear this, try and contact me, or find me, or have Blue reach for me, my comms are always open. I miss you guys, hope to see you soon."_

_**[Paladin log nº 4 : Day 160 ]** _

_"I'm on the fourth planet now, the ocean here is yellow, just like Hunk's paladin color, I named her Sunshine, because she's also really bubbly and fun. The aliens here are, kinda humanoid? Don't know how to describe them, tall and lanky and colorful? They're called Atlas, and they share your love for cooking, Hunk, they made me a feast and I actually cried a little, everything was super good....though.....I would give anything to taste your vanilla goo again. How are you guys doing? Is everything okay in the castle? Are you having trouble with the Galra? I wish I could be with you, I want to hear your voices again, even if it's to chastise me or groan at me. I miss you so much, find me soon, yeah?"_

_**[Paladin log nº 5 : Day 171 ]** _

_"Fifth planet now, it took me a while to find the ocean here, and guess why? It was actually underground! I had to dive through a cliff and deep into the ground to find her, she is purple and deep blue and shines like stars are twinkling in her, it reminded me of Allura's eyes and Shiro, for some reason. I suggested Cosmos for a name, and she liked it, we hit it off pretty well, actually, lived with her for a week without even noticing, enjoying the peace and silence of being deep below the surface."_

_"I mean, it was pretty dark, but I could see just fine, and I needed a break, was beginning to have panic attacks at the worst times, you know? I just....floated there and let my thoughts consume me, which, bad idea, I know, but.....I'm allowed to have doubts, you know? Besides, I left after a while, met the guys on the surface,_ _they look like trees, and believe me, you do not want a detailed description of them, they're also mute, but helped me plenty, taught me some combat techniques and stuff, was pretty cool."_

_"I'm still doing fine, still waiting for you guys, I miss Shiro's side hugs and Allura's stern, but genuine care, I miss Hunk's snuggles and when Pidge would go all koala on me, I miss Coran's tales of Altea and his back rubs......I even miss Keith's banter and.....I miss Keith."_

_"I can't wait to see you all again, contact me soon......please."_

_**[Paladin log nº 6 : Day 175 ]** _

_"Another planet to visit, sixth this time, I think, the ocean here is....red, fiery and burning bright, I was going to call him Keith.....but it hurt me every time I said his.....I said your name, it felt like I was talking to you, only to turn around and notice you weren't actually there. I nearly cried right then and there, I feel like my brain can't handle much more of this, it's getting increasingly difficult to keep calm, keep hoping."_

_" I feel like if you'd been in my situation, you would have handled it way better,_ _you're resourceful and good at surviving in this kind of scenarios, I, meanwhile, have to rely on the good will of the locals to get by, it makes me feel like shit, honestly. I probably should have trained with you more, when I was back at the castle, should have listened to the advice and tips you gave me, instead of fighting with you and riling you up."_

_"I'm sure they would have come in handy in this situation, although is a bit late to regret that now. I don't know if you know this, but I never hated you, I was just....jealous and amazed and....ashamed, because I wanted to be like you, and at the same time, I wanted to be your equal, someone worthy of walking by your side. It may sound stupid now, and you might think I'm joking, but...I really miss you, and I wished I told you the truth when we were still together."_

_"If I had told you what I really was, then maybe this whole mess could have been avoided, and you wouldn't have suffered so much.....I never meant to make you cry, I was just scared of rejection.....both because of my heritage and......because I-"_

_**[Paladin log nº 7 : Day 177 ]** _

_"Another day, another planet, it's getting quite tedious to interact with people and_ _the beings that inhabit this places. Lately, I only want to lay down at the bottom of the ocean and sleep, forget about everything, and disappear. But of course, then I think of what you would say, and it fires me back up, because no matter what I may feel, competition has always being a thing that lifts me up, and I know you would call me a coward or loser for giving up, so I'm still trying my best to survive and go on."_

_"That reminds me of that time at the Garrison with the survival drills, you were actually the best, I watched your exercise, you know? From start to finish. You moved with a fluidity and agility that made you look like a hurricane, defeating your enemies in one fell swoop and getting to the finish line in first place. I remember thinking just how beautiful it was, and how much I would like to befriend that guy that was so awesome and well versed in fighting."_

_"Of course, you didn't even know I existed, so that was impossible to do, but I still tried my best, and believe it or not, I ended up in second place. I was really proud,_ _felt giddy and excited, wanting to introduce myself to you as the second best, wondering if we could be friends. Sadly, you completely ignored me when I tried, and that made me so mad....or more like sad, really, the guy I admired wouldn't even glance my way...it felt like total rejection."_

_"But then I thought, hey, I'll become his rival instead, he'll have to pay attention to me that way! That didn't work so well either, and then you got booted out the Garrison and I never got to talk to you. I kinda always regretted not trying harder, wondering if we could've been friends back then before we got sent into space. I know thinking about 'what ifs' is useless and will only make me feel bad, but reminiscing about you helps me cope with the fact that you're gone, you're all gone, and the memories of the past are the only thing keeping me going."_

_".....I miss you.....please come back."_

_**[Paladin log nº 8 : Day 183 ]** _

_"Okay, I'm gonna talk under the assumption that no one is ever going to listen to this. I.....I've lost hope. I know I said I wouldn't, that I would go on and never stop walking....but it's getting harder and harder with everyday that passes by. It's been two months, now, and I've come to the conclusion that we're never going to find each other, it was a long shot to begin with, the universe is immense, after all."_

_"It had been a month when I woke up, with you all thinking I was dead, it was improbable that you'd come to the planet like 'Hey, let's see if Lance is alive' or 'Let's pay our respects', you have an universe to save, and the Galra won't stop just because you're missing a paladin, I get it. No one is going to find these recordings, and no one is going to listen to them, I've come to accept that I'm going to be alone from now on, with no way back to you, no way back home."_

_"I don't even know how far away from earth I am, and trying to go back is not possible right now, I think, I would never risk our home, no matter what. But I'm gonna keep recording, it helps me keep sane, and venting is something I actually need, god knows some of these aliens are weird as heck, and if I don't confide in someone, I will actually implode."_

_"I'm gonna keep going from planet to planet, there's only five left on this galaxy, and then I wil jump to another one, maybe will join some rebel force or help defeat Galra whenever I can. It will be dangerous, yeah, but I need some sort of....mission, to keep me going, something to achieve, to strive for......if I don't have something to fight for.....I fear I will sink deep down below the surface and sleep for the rest of my life."_

_"I dread that that day will come.....but I know it ultimately will.....and that scares me more than you can imagine. .....I miss you, always, I dreamt of you last night, as embarrassing as that is, I dreamt that you held me in your arms and brushed my hair with your fingers, whispering sweet nothings in my ear while I giggled."_

_"It feels like I'm fifteen all over again, but I think my feelings never really disappeared, and instead they piled up while I was in denial and holding back, to the point where a little crush became something brighter and bigger than I could've ever imagined."_

_"I think I'm going to end this entry now, if I don't, I'm going to cry all over it and I don't want to screw the device over. Lance, over and out."_

_**[Paladin log nº 9 : Day 187 ]** _

_"You know, I never really hated your mullet either, I don't think I've said this before. I was just being really stupid, because it looked soft and nice and it made me want to run my fingers through it, and knowing that I couldn't do that, that I was probably never going to be allowed to do that, well, it made me mad. I think this is what Pidge would call pinning, although I don't think you ever noticed. You're kind of oblivious, albeit it's something I find endearing."_

_"I really liked to watch you fight, too, it was mesmerizing and.....kind of hot, really. I_ _always felt bad for looking at you in such a way when you were training, but I knew you would never feel the same way, and I enjoyed what little things I had. I always thought that your fighting technique was the best around, nearly as good as Shiro's, and I really wanted to spar with you, but my brain to mouth filter usually disappeared when I talked to you, and we ended up arguing instead. It made me_ _think we were incompatible......it sucked."_

_"The planet I'm in now is kinda nice, like a vacation resort, I'm actually chilling on a sofa by the beach with what looks like a mojito in my hand, and they gave me some sunglasses, because they said their sun is way too bright and may burn my retinas. But besides that, it feels kinda like back home, I even got a tan, like, jesus the tan lines are preposterous, I pray to god that I didn't get a sunburn."_

_"I think I'm gonna go sleep for a while, I'll talk to you later, good night, Keith."_

_**[Paladin log nº 10 : Day 190]** _

_"Well, turns out I did get a sunburn, the locals had to cover me in some healing cream and I looked like a yeti for the good part of a day. Although my skin looks shiny now, like, it's clear like it's never been before, and so, so soft.....I bet you would like to run your fingers through it, just like I imagined doing to you sometimes. It's embarrassing, but your pale skin always had my fingers itching, wanting to touch your cheeks and shoulders, or the back of your neck....those broad shoulders and slim waist......"_

_"Yeah, if I had any hope whatsoever that you'd be listening to this, I would probably be dying by now, good thing I know that won't ever happen. And talking about bodies, I used to notice that your hands were always covered, and you never removed your gloves, I thought that maybe your skin was sensitive or you were...shy or something? But I remembered a failed experiment back at the Garrison, something to do with chemicals, and I heard that some student saved the others by grabbing the stuff and chucking it out the window."_

_"I have an inkling that that was you. Selfless as ever, and you probably burnt your hands really bad, I'm sure the skin there is marred and scarred, probably sensitive too. Is it strange that I want to kiss it better? Run my own fingers through it softly and caress the skin there?"_

_"Maybe it is, but I honestly don't care. I would give anything to see your face right now, even if you were mad at me, even if you hated me. Are you doing fine? Are you_ _eating enough? Are you taking care of yourself? Try not to train so much, you'll worry Shiro and the others. Are you sleeping okay? Do you have nightmares still? I hope you're not crying anymore, I hope if you are, it's not my fault, I don't want to ruin your life because you feel guilty."_

_"I did what I did because I......because I care, and I would have died if something happened to you. I hope you can forgive me for being so selfish, but I'm just glad you're alive. I'll talk to you later.....goodnight, cariño."_

_**[Paladin log nº 11 : Day 195]** _

_"Uhhhh.....ugh....why me.....what did I do to deserve this.....I'm going to die....oh god....sob....sob.."_

_"The air here......it's not....breatheable, I...my ship didn't pick up on this...and my helmet is too broken to function...I think I poisoned myself...it hurts....it hurts so much....if the locals don't find me or...throw me into the ocean or something.....I'm gonna die....I can't move...."_

_"I feel like I can't breath.....the spirits here can't help me....not...strong enough....why do I always....attract such trouble? You always told me I was a danger magnet.....but you were the one always throwing himself into dangerous situations....headfirst... reckless....fierce..... rash....and so...so brave....I liked that about you....still do...."_

_"You never cared what....happened to you as long as....everyone was safe.... I worried for you...but always had faith that...you'd come back.....you were....like the sun....so bright.....so blinding....if I ever dared to try and touch you....I was sure I would burn....like....icarus..."_

_"But I...coudn't help but be....drawn to you.....I couldn't help....but.....love...you...."_

_"....."_

_**[Paladin log nº 12 : Day 199]** _

_"Soooo, I'm still alive, thank god for that, that was a scary experience, some of the locals found me just as I passed out, and since they had gotten the news about me traveling to and fro, they kindly threw me into the ocean, where I proceeded to choke and feel like dying all over again. But the water purified my lungs, and I managed to recover, the aliens there even made a helmet for me, so I could breathe outside."_

_"I....that was kinda a shitty confession, I was going to add a pick up line and use my best charm before I blurted it out, but....uh....I thought I was toast so...yeah, don't hold it against me. So......yeah, I skipped the 'I like you' part and kinda jumped on the 'love' bandwagon, but....absence makes the heart grow fonder?...I....I don't know why I'm doing this....what is the point of acting? No one is here to watch me cry, anyways."_

_"I was really scared, back then, the thought of my feelings never reaching you was something that frightened me so much...I....I had to say it, needed to tell you, even if you'd only find this after my death, many, many years from now as you go back to that planet to pay your respects....I needed you to know...I couldn't keep it to myself anymore."_

_"This may be strange to you, out of the blue....but it's not, I've loved you since the first time I saw you back at the Garrison....I'm sure you've put together the pieces of the puzzle from my other logs, but....it's not like it was love at first sight, you know? You were very pretty, and handsome, and I was attracted to you because of that, at first. But then I saw you fight, saw you study hard, saw you smile and laugh with Shiro, and it was like I couldn't keep my eyes off you."_

_"And then we came to space, and I learnt more about you, about your small little quirks that were, in all honestly, adorable. About your likes and dislikes, your fears, your insecurities, what you held dear, what you hated, what you wanted to protect. I learnt about your kindness and your courage, your selflessness and care....even if it was stern and unconventional."_

_"I got to know you and I fell more and more with everyday that I spent by your side, watching you from afar, dreaming of a world where I would confess my feelings and you would reciprocate. A world where I wouldn't be held back by fear and self-doubt, were I could say with honesty how much my heart longed to be with you, a world where I could shout, without hesitation, that my heart belonged to you alone, forever and always."_

_"But....I never took that step....I was a coward....scared that you'd reject me, that you'd feel uncomfortable with me....that you would leave me behind....I thought that, if nothing, at least I could have your friendship....."_

_"I'm sorry I sprung this on you, I just didn't want to hold this in anymore, it tore me up inside....I pray, that, wherever you are right now, you're happy....even....even if it's not with me, I hope you find someone that loves you as much as I do....someone that_ _can cherish you without fear, like you deserve, someone that isn't scared to share their love with you...."_

_"I'm going now, this is the last planet I need to visit before I jump to another galaxy -the last log I'll do in a while, too- it looks different from the others, so maybe I'll find something interesting. I hope to see you again someday, corazón, goodbye."_

 


	3. "....until the searing fire reached for him, and held tight."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance lands on the last planet he needs to visit, and immediately gets bad vives from the place, looking devoid of life and dull, grey, still. He tries to pass his feelings of foreboding as his paranoia acting up, but he should have known better, his incstincts are never wrong.
> 
> He should have listened to them.
> 
> If he had, he wouldn't have fallen into a pit of madness, insanity and death, the truth he discovered as he fell into the clutches of the locals being something so vile and disgusting that he could have lived without knowing about.
> 
> The hysteria spread, the voices screamed, sacifices were going to be made, the fire came to life as he wept, and the only thing he wanted in the end was to hear the voice of the person he loved.
> 
> It sounded sweet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, soooo, omg, thank you all SO much for all the nice comments and bookmarks and suscriptions and kudos and.....jesus, you're all so awesome? A lot of people liked this fic, and i'm crying with happiness right now like you wouldn't believe.
> 
> This story has been really nice to work on, and i'm glad i got to share this au with everyone who loves voltron (and lance), i hope to continue writing and that everyone keeps having fun with my work, your comments give me +10 lives and +100 motivation :)
> 
> Also, for anyone asking, the art on chapter 2 was done by me ;)
> 
> Stay awesome, love you! <3

Lance breached through the atmosphere of the planet, the grey sky giving the place a lifeless look, dusty colored clouds moving lazily as he passed by, his gaze focused on the ground, trying to find a place to land. He spotted a clearing some distance ahead, and prepared his ship so he could touch down and meet the locals, eager to just finish this and go back......go back to his journey, he supposed.

He landed without a hitch, and took some supplies with him, just in case. Two of the planets he'd visited had food that was inedible to him, he spent two days in the infirmary and the toilet because they messed his stomach really bad. He'd made a note to always take food with him wherever he decided to go, after that, lest the same thing repeated again, which, _no thanks._

He left the ship quickly and silently, and walked for a few minutes before he felt the need to stop. This place was giving him the chills, for some reason, there was just....silence, and Lance was smart enough to know that no forest or jungle would ever be silent, not unless something was really, _really_ wrong.

The trees around him were a dull green, their trunks the color of ash, and the soil at his feet felt like concrete, hard and lifeless. There wasn't the sound of running water, no alien birds sang and no creatures growled and moved in between the foliage, no sound of snapping twigs or clashing rocks reached his ears.

Everything screamed ' _run_ ', and he'd never wanted to listen to his instincts more than in that moment, but just then, an alien burst forth through the bushes, and he lost his chance.

"Oh, oh my!" The alien -who looked quite similar to the Inas- beamed up at him, running to stand by his side. " Are you the one? Are you?" Lance shrugged and backed away, uncomfortable at the bright eyed look the other was giving him.

"Ah...hello, my name is Lance, I-" He was interrupted before he could introduce himself properly.

"Oh! It's you, it's you! The Blue one! We've been waiting for you, come, come!" The alien grabbed his wrist with surprising force, and lead him through the thick foliage, walking fast, not letting Lance complain or deny his request, the Ina giggling softly all the way until they reached some sort of village.

"Oh, he's gonna be so happy, you'll see! We've been waiting for so long, and now you came! I'm sure he'll be delighted!" Lance tried to summon his bayard, just in case -thought he knew Inas weren't violent or bad people in general- and discovered with dread that he'd left it back on his ship, along some traditional weapons the locals of other planets had given him as gifts.

The urge to facepalm was overwhelming, he couldn't afford to be careless, now that he was alone. He would have to work on improving that.

He wondered who this Ina was talking about, though, it sounded like they heard about him from the other planets, and, like many others, were excited to meet him, the one that resembled their lost ancestors, The Guardians. But the guy's enthusiasm and eagerness threw him off, it was too bright, too intense, and he wanted nothing more than to leave.

Too bad the guy had an iron grip on his wrist.

He would have to analyze the situation and see if there was any danger, keep quiet and compliant and then decide if he would bolt, or knock everyone out and then run for the hills. Sooner than he would've liked, they arrived at some sort of house, it seemed to be made of stones and wood, and it looked as gloom and depressing as the rest of the planet.

Someone walked out the front door before Lance could scout his surroundings more throughly, and Lance recognized it as an Aeros, the alien race that lived on the fourth planet he visited, Alian. The guy -they had smaller wings on their heads than girls- walked forward, eyes fixated on Lance, and his gaze was filled with such intensity and.... _desire_ , that the blue paladin felt all the hairs on his body stand on end as a chill ran down his spine.

He opened his mouth and screeched, making Lance wince and cover his ears.

"Ooooh, oooh! The day has come, the promised day has finally arrived!" Voices and cheers suddenly surrounded him, and Lance noticed with growing dread that he was surrounded. He gazed nervously at all the aliens around him and his eyes widened. To his right stood some Inas, clapping and smiling as they yelled, and, among them, a number of Rihas and Xirs cheered, their faces twisted in delight.

To his left, a group of Popi were chirping, and some Atlas and Loranians jumped up and down, smiling wide and showing their fangs, their smiles wretched and wicked, eyes never focusing on anything as they hysterically gazed around.

It should have been heartwarming, to see all the alien species he'd met on the planets he'd visited coexisting together like this, mingling together despite their differences, and being at peace. But instead, all he felt was dread and a fear so deep it rattled loudly in his bones, his heart beating too fast and throat tightening as anxiety and foreboding did him in.

A bit too late, though.

"Tie him up." Before he could even gaze to see who uttered those words -it had been the Aeros, he was sure- many of the aliens on his vicinity threw themselves at him, pushing him down and knocking his forehead on the ground, pinning his arms and legs with suprising force, only to tie them together- too tight- a tick later with rope. Only once they made sure he was completely defenceless did they haul him up, facing the one that ordered for him to be captured, Lance's eyes shifting to look up, from the ground, at the tall alien, who seemed satisfied with this fact.

Lance barely took notice that his forehead was bleeding from the earlier impact, or that he'd bit his lip accidentally, he just focused on glaring at his attacker with all his might, which only made the Aeros chuckle, pissing Lance off to no end.

The alien reached for him with clawed hands, and Lance instinctively backed away, only to be stopped by the people surrounding him, the Aeros' hands cupping his cheeks as he smirked. It felt revolting and Lance paled, nausea forming on the pit of his stomach, the need to get away making his skin itch.

" _Ahhhh_ , this must be a gift from the Gods, I'm sure. They didn't abandon us, _of course_ they wouldn't. We waited and prayed and survived, we never stopped believing, and they blessed us with this encounter. It was meant for us, it was fate." The other beings cheered even louder, some of them laughing and cackling while others just screamed their heads off, alerting Lance -if everything else hadn't already done so- that these people weren't right on the head.

"How long we waited for one such as you, little paladin." Lance froze, and slowly, ever so slowly, he raised his eyes once again to meet those of his offender. " I'm sure you've heard of us, _the sinners, the evil, the wicked ones. A_ nd likewise, we've heard of you too, the lost paladin, The Guardian, the Blue One." He frowned and bared his teeth at the Aeros, fist clenching behind his back as his nails pierced skin, the blood dripping down his hands and forehead grounding him somewhat.

"What do you mean by that? Who...... _what_ are you?" The Aeros leered at him.

"So clever, are we? Although, I suppose I could tell you, since you're gonna be here for _a while,_ and it will do you good to hear the truth, so you can understand and _repent_." The alien crouched down and stared at Lance with hungry eyes, the people surrounding him giggling maniacally as they muttered nonsense that Lance didn't bother to try and decipher.

"I'm sure that, of all of the planets you've been to, someone must have told you the tale of _The Guardians_ , yes? " He said the word with distaste, Lance didn't even blink. "I'll take that as a yes, seeing as there is no way no one told you, being what you are. I'm sure they said the sinners either died, disappeared or were trapped and given punishment or something similar. We know this because some transmissions actually reach this place, from time to time." Lance raised an eyebrow in confusion, but said nothing.

"Everything they told was a lie, though, because, how could they know the extent of the cruelty and depravity of those they called _saviors_? The oceans weren't as kind as they lead them to believe. They imposed upon us a fate worse than death, _us_ , who were only trying to rid the world of those.... _abominations_ they called _kings, saviors, friends_." Lance swallowed up a gasp, and tried, in vain, to deny a truth he already knew. It was just his luck that he would end up where he was, his life had being going downhill since he fell out that cliff, if he was being honest.

"Let me tell you what really occurred back then all those thousands of years ago. My people and I, you see, were a group that came together because we shared similar beliefs, we weren't blind to the true shape and the sinful intentions of those monstrosities they called Guardians. We tried to tell this to our brethren, make them understand and see reason, remove their blindfold and let them _see_." The Aeros tilted his head, humming.

"But they wouldn't believe us, wouldn't even listen, screaming things like _'blasphemy'_ and _'sacrilege'_ , shunning us when we kept going ahead with our endeavor. They wouldn't see truth, so we came to a decision, we would take matters into our own hands, we would make things right and rid the universe of those wretched things." Lance blanched, feeling nausea and disgust forming in the pit of his stomach, trying really hard not to snarl at the alien in front of him and actually growl at him.

"The first time we dispatched one of the Blue Ones, it was fulfilling, the satisfaction of knowing we were doing the Gods' work bringing us a happiness so whole it felt sinful. We investigated first, of course, trying to see if we could get the gifts they were so undeserving of, and use them to proclaim and fulfill the Gods' word." Lance clenched his teeth hard, restraining himself from speaking, he was sure nothing pleasant would come out of his mouth in that very moment.

"The second time, though, as the Blue One was taking it's last breath, she muttered some words, she said _' You have been cursed by the oceans, none of you are free of sin, if you continue massacring us, you will deeply regret it, heed my words, repent.'_ , and then she died. We, of course, never told any of our many members any of this, we couldn't have them scared and slacking off their sacred work, so we observed the situation as the time passed by, and as many more abominations died, nothing seemed to be amiss, and we continued with our mission diligently."

"Now, fast forward to many years later, our journey is nearing it's end, we had cleansed every single planet on this galaxy, and we were face to face with the last monster that had to be purified. It wasn't anything spectacular, no different than all our other missions, but when it was finally done, when the last of them was purged, the feeling of completion and holiness that enveloped us made everything worth it, we were the Gods' beloveds, blessed with their never-ending divine glory." The Aeros made a face that had Lance gagging, feeling repulsed like he never had before, it was obvious that this alien enjoyed what he was saying to disgustingly high levels.

"We were happy, ready to share the holy word and return to our rightful places as saviors....but the next moment, a storm brew, those....vengeful beings made of hate and rage drowned us, swallowed all of us only to spit us back up into this strange place, alone, their waters receding and leaving with the unholy whisper of ' _Retribution_ '." Lance tried to stop himself from smirking in satisfaction, and failed spectacularly, his slip winning him a kick to the ribs by the storyteller himself, who looked at him with contempt as he wheezed and tried to take in a breath, chest hurting with every movement.

"Yes, I suppose that would make you giddy, would it not? To know that we'd suffered unjustly by the hand of those treacherous entities. But the story does not end here, the survivors of that assault sought out the truth of their situation, and within a few weeks, a conclusion was reached, and we wept at the unfairness of it all." The blue paladin rolled his eyes, thinking to himself that, if nothing, it had been justice being dealt, and not the other way around. But these aliens seemed way too far gone to understand the reality of their beliefs and just how wrong and revolting they were.

"One of our members happened to be a skilled scientist, and with a group of attendants helping him, he found out that the oceans had dumped us into a planet located in a rift between dimensions, we weren't here nor there, past or present, to the universe -for all intents and purposes- we didn't exist." Lance felt his eyes widen, comprehension dawning slowly over him as he realized just what had transpired back then.

"Hundreds of years passed, and we didn't die, _couldn't_ die. Those terrifying beings had cursed us with eternal life, trapped on a planet that didn't exist with no means to leave. We were thirsty - _but there was no water_ \- we were hungry - _but no food was found_ -, we were tired - _but sleep evaded us_ -, we wanted to progress - _but the terrain and environment were dead_. And even without sustenance, our wretched lives continued on, never-ending, trapped within a cycle of suffering and insanity."

"A few years in, though, we tried to discover a means to escape, to contact the outer world and be freed, and the scientist actually found something unsettling, if we tried to leave the atmosphere with the ships we constructed, they immediately stopped functioning, and we would find ourselves back on the ground no matter how many times we tried to do it." The Aeros groaned, hands clutching his vest as he walked back and forth.

"They said -the technicians and investigators- that there was a barrier around the planet, and only one kind of quintessence signature could cross it....the life force of the monsters we had annihilated, only the Guardians -or someone with a smiliar aura- could see and enter this barren land. Our scientist then reminisced about the words of warning the second Guardian had given us, and it turns out the curse had been, indeed, cast upon us, we decimated the only beings that were capable of freeing us, we fulfilled the curse unknowingly." The aliens around him screamed and wept, their voices hysterical and crazed, mixing with murmurs and curses in a twisted cacophony of despair.

"The scientist fell into madness not long after, and many of our brethren followed soon, trying to finish each others' lives to no avail, they continued on, undisturbed, an unjust punishment to we, humble followers of our Gods' designs. Still, some of us never gave up hope, we prayed and thrived, we built and constructed devices to communicate, we listened to the world as it moved on without us, and when the chance came.....we took it." The smile the Aeros sent Lance made him shiver, tremors racking his body, and he prepared to gather all the water he could to blast these guys into oblivion and run for his life.

"We managed to contact the Galra, and had some.... _interesting_ conversations with them, they aren't in our Gods' graces, but our freedom is needed to right the wrongs in our world, sacrifices have to be made in pos of peace. The galran we contacted told us as such, if we managed to capture a paladin of Voltron or gather a beautiful rarity for his collection, he would search for a way to liberate us, as long as we swore loyalty to them." The Aeros approached and Lance was still trying with all his might to gather energy, something, _anything_ to help him fight.....but he came up empty handed, the gap he felt in his being now finally being noticeable. And he gasped, terrified and totally, completely vulnerable.

"I see you've finally realized....there is nothing for you here, little monster, this planet is barren, a desert of stone and sand, no water has ever, or will ever fall upon these lands, you're completely at our mercy here." Footsteps made him look up, and he came face to face with the srotyteller, his eyes bright with madness as he showed his teeth with a wicked smile.

The alien straightened before continuing where he left off, Lance only half listening as his fear spiked up, the lack of sweet voices and cool caresses he associated with the ocean and it's spirits....gone, leaving him numb and hollow and so, so alone....

"So, as I was saying, the Galra offered us a chance, but we couldn't do much from here, so we sent one of our devices -one equiped with cameras, lasers and the like- to travel outside this space, and whether because the curse had weakened or some other factor interfered -most likely druid magic, that Galran said something about that- we were succesful."

"Then the Garlan commander attacked one of the planets on this galaxy to lure Voltron in, so we coud team up and capture one of you -he sought glory for his lord, I heard- and as soon as our device landed on the planet and we saw your aura....when we saw you on the cliff.....we knew it was our chance." Lance froze, a hitched breath escaping his lips, and he slowly rose his head, eyes boring holes into the Aeros, who stood impassive before him, a pleased smile twisting his features into something sinister and vile.

"When you were cornered on that ridge, we had already watched you fight, we knew that you tried your best to protect the other, going as far as getting injured for his sake. So..." The alien approached and whispered in his ear, Lance's breaths becoming erratic and short. "When we saw an opening, we projected a hologram of a soldier on that tree, and we shot, knowing that you would miss, knowing you would protect the other, knowing you would fall....knowing you would _survive_." Lance whimpered, fists tightening to the point of making his palms bleed anew. So he hadn't missed his shot, after all, it had been part of a ploy to get him alone, separate him from his teammates.....and they had succeeded.

"How did you know?" Lance seethed, rage boiling hot on the pit of his stomach.

An hysterical laugh was his answer, the Aeros doubling over and wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. " _Please_ , who do you think we are? We are the hands and eyes of our Gods, we researched everything that we needed to know about the abominations before embarking on our holy crusade. We uncovered all of their abilities, weaknesses, we discovered how their quintessence looked like, even, created a device that let us see and locate the sinners to make our arduous mission easier." The blue paladin bit his lip, drawing blood, still trying to gather the energy necessary to blow this guy to smitheroons, but no power flowed to him, no voices sang, no one answered his desperate call for help.

" Their auras looked simple enough, every single Guardian had a cyan blue quintessence, it's not uncommon, anyone can be born with it. But those monsters had an undercurrent of deep navy blue swirling inside, every single one, without exception....just like _you_." The storyteller smiled, his mouth stretched to impossible levels, eyes unfocused and misted over, but never once straying from Lance's face while he wiggled his hands, now desperate to just...punch this guy on the face and run away, far, far away.

The discovery that it hadn't been his mediocre skills that had caused his solitude, but, instead, a maniac with delusions of grandeur and a god complex, brought some relief to his battered mind, but it also brought anger and resentment, since now, he had someone to blame, someone to _hate_.

And it scared him the things he wanted to do to this alien for stealing him away from his family.

"Now you know everything. Aren't I nice? I am, I know I am, our gods love us, we are blessed....." His gaze landed on Lance once more. "Now it is your turn, little monster, _free us_." Lance let out a sound of disbelief, wondering if he'd heard wrong.

_"What?"_

"You heard me, we caught you, you're useless here, weak, outnumbered. We were, initially, just going to capture whatever paladin we happened upon and have that Galra search for a way to free us. But when we saw _you_ , everything changed. Now, if you free us without making a fuss, we promise to kill you nice and quick." Lance just....stared, dumbfounded, this guy....he really believed what he was saying, didn't see anything wrong with his statement, his mind was so far gone that he wasn't able to discern between good and evil -had been that way for a long time now, probably- between logical and insane.

Lance searched for some scrap of pity for these people within himself.

He found none.

It didn't bother him as much as he thought.

" _No_."

The Aeros froze, the cacophony of voices that deafened him stopping abruptly, the sudden silence only adding to his growing anxiety. But still he wouldn't budge, he wasn't going to listen to a thing these people said, even if it cost him his life.

Slowly, the alien turned to face him, mouth upturned exaggeratedly and eyes widened to the point it looked grotesque, his hands moving to clutch his head as he tilted it, the movement adding to the creepiness of it all.

"What do you mean?" The tone of the Aeros' voice was low and sounded more like a growl, a rumbling seeming to come from his chest as he fixated Lance with the most unnerving stare.

"I mean, that I don't know how to free you, and even if I did, I wouldn't do it, you did this to yourselves, you commited crimes and killed innocent people. You stole me from my family and those I love! And you expect my help? As if!" Lance felt his voice escalate until he was shouting, his resentment and bitterness getting the best of him as he thought of his teammates, their smiles, and how he was probably never going to see them again.

He couldn't bring himself to calm down, wasn't sure if he wanted to.

Anger was a good motivator, after all.

"No.....no...nonononononono!" The Aeros tugged on his hair hard, his yells becoming a jumbled mess of words that lost their meaning as he spoke, murmurs and screams leaving his lips as he shrieked and screeched. This seemed to instigate a panic amongst the villagers, who began joining in on the shouting, howls and whimpers and giggles and laughs meshing together to form a terrifying song, tears falling as nails scratched and mouths bit, thuds reaching his ears as some fell and others froze while some ran or curled in on themselves.

It was mayhem.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this! You were supposed to _repent_! Help us so we could go back to our rightful places and purify this lands. You were supposed to listen to our word! The word of the Gods! It's wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong....!" Lance backed away slowly, still crouching on his knees and trying desperately to undo his bindings. No one was really paying attention to him, too focused on their insanity induced fit, and it was the perfect opportunity to flee and never, _ever_ , come back.

He was nearly outside the circle of people, when a presence made itself known at his back, and a strong force sent him crashing down forward, onto the harsh ground of the village, hitting once again his tender forehead and making him see stars. A foot landed on his back, pressing down hard and making Lance shout in pain, some ribs were probably broken, it hurt just to breath and the alien above him wasn't making it any easier, the strength of his push fueled by righteousness and what he believed was the ' _good way_ ' too much for Lance to handle.

Too much uncontrolled force.

"No, you will _not_ leave! If you will not free us, then we will give you to _him_ , the Galra will obliterate this curse and we will, once again, spread our beliefs and reclaim these lands!" The alien, an Ina, if Lance wasn't wrong, looked at him with a ferocity and wilderness that made his skin crawl, and he focused, instead, on keep breathing.

"Contact the commander, tell him we have the paladin." The Aeros, the one that seemed to be the leader, finally stilled, eyes landing on the Ina. He nodded mutely and took a device out of his pocket, and, a few ticks later, a full body hologram of a galran soldier showed up, his back to Lance, and the Aeros glared at the galran in disgust before speaking.

"We have what you asked for, we call so you fulfill your part of our agreement."

"Hmm, I would prefer to see the goods before taking action, I'm sure you understand." The storyteller growled and turned the device so the Galran was facing Lance, who also glared at him, since it was the only thing he could do at the moment.

"I see you've done good on your word. A paladin of Voltron, no less, though, how you got him to land on your planet is a mystery to me." The commander rubbed his chin in wonder.

"That's quite easy to answer, we fulfilled not one, but two of your conditions for the deal. You wanted a paladin and a rarity for your collection, we give you both." Out of nowhere, the Ina wormed one of his hands down his own throat, making Lance gag from looking at it, and he took out a vial tied with a string. Then proceeded to break the vial above Lance's head, and a cool sensation filled his being, a small whisper of a song reaching his ears before it vanished.

Lance felt his hair grow and his markings appear, and a gasp left his lips, pained and confused.

"Here is the rarity you wanted, a Blue One, a race extinct in all the universe, one of the most beautiful creatures to inhabit these lands, powerful and deadly beyond measure." The glaran's eyes widened, and a smirk found it's way into his lips, stretching wickedly before he let out a humming sound, as if in approval.

Lance wanted nothing more than to shoot his furry purple face.

"Very beautiful and rare, _indeed_. Sadly, my lord wants nothing to do with the Blue paladin, maybe if it had been Red or Black this would have been a deal. As it stands, our deal will have to be....modified slightly." The Aeros and Ina both looked at him questioningly, waiting for his conditions.

"Kill the blue paladin, if you manage to do it, I'll have my druids crush the curse that binds you, and release you into the world once again." Lance stopped breathing, and had to bit his lip to keep from whimpering, this was bad, very, very bad. He couldn't move, could barely think straight with the pain on his ribs and forehead and legs and....everything was too much, so _wrong_.

Why did his lineage have to bring him such bad luck? He'd always known he would be alone, no kin of his to share his troubles with. He'd always have to keep his abilities under wraps, always careful not to say too much, don't act strange, don't stand out, don't, don't, _don't._

He was never allowed the freedom of just....letting go and be himself.

Why did nothing good ever come out of his inherited blood? It wasn't fair.

"It will be done, and when it ends, I expect you to comply with our wishes, I do not trust Galra, and with reason, but I hope our feat deems us deserving of your aid." The Aeros made some hand gestures, and a few villagers grabbed Lance, who squirmed and tried to free himself, but they grabbed him everywhere, their grip strong enough to plunge their nails into his skin, drawing blood. There was no use trying to scape, at least not now.

"But of course, it will be amusing to watch was you....cleanse, the planets on this Galaxy, your destruction will bring joy to our cause, and when those planets are barren and desolate, the glorious galra empire will plant it's flag on their soil. Standing proud as a symbol of conquest." The commander nodded his head and the transmission cut off, every single inhabitant sane enough on his vicinity turning to look at him, eyes hungry and screaming for his demise.

This was crazy, all of them were nuts, their force was wild and unleashed, they had nothing to lose and everything to gain, their ideals and beliefs fueled their actions - deranged as they were - and it seemed no amount of pleading or reasoning was going to change their mind.

Lance heaved, breaths erratic and short, forehead damp with sweat as he tried to gulp, his throat dry as he coughed, rattling his ribs and making him moan, a few tears gathering on the corner of his eyes. It was pointless, he couldn't do anything, he was hurt and tied up, disoriented and outnumbered, his Bayard and weapons on his ship, no team to come save him, no one to scream for help for, he was useless....powerless.....alone.

He clenched his eyes shut and bit his lip, keeping the tears at bay, not wanting to give the lunatics around him the satisfaction of knowing they had snuffed out his will to fight. He was going to die on an uknown planet into a rift where no one would find his body, killed by a bunch of extremists and murderers who didn't give a shit anymore.

He wouldn't be able to go back to Earth, to his family, wouldn't be able to see the team and Keith again, wouldn't be able to help save the universe and confess his feelings and have a date and share ice cream and watch Keith smile.....he lost his chance, and now he had _nothing_.

"Bring him to the purifying pyre."

Lance screamed.

\--

He had wiggled and squirmed around as best as he could, his wrists bleeding with the force of his struggles, trying with all his might to break his restrains, crying and yelling obscenities all the way as the aliens carried him to another location.

The location for his _murder_.

They had thrown him unceremoniously before a pile of gray, lifeless wood, and then proceeded to haul him to his feet and tie him up to the pyre, all of this whilst he kicked and bit and elbowed the people around him, despair burning bright in his veins.

He never once stopped, determined to try until his last breath. But ultimately, it had been useless, the aliens around him had been hunting his kind for decades, they had decimated an entire species, they knew his weaknesses and strengths and he was powerless to fight back.

So now he stood, waiting for the inevitable end of his short life.

"Foolish sinner, if only you had repented and freed us, your death would have been kind. Instead, you chose to ignore the right path and for that, you will find your demise in the heart of the purifying flames. Last of your kind, pitifully alone, with your death, our long mission will come to an end, and our freedom will be regained." The same Aeros that seemed to be in charge walked forward, an unlit torch on his hand, and Lance felt his tears flow as he glared down at the alien with all the force he could muster, teeth clenched together in pure, unadulterated rage.

"Fuck _you_! I will never forgive you! I will haunt you even in the afterlife, you won't get rid of me! I'll make you regret everything you've done to me!" He screamed until his throat hurt and his voice grew hoarse, eyes swollen and burning because of his continuous stream of tears. Then the Ina snarled, and within seconds, the torch was lit, and the alien didn't make a speech this time, didn't prolong the events or pause in his actions, it was more than obvious that he had no hesitation nor regrets for what he'd done in the past or what he was going to do right now.

He walked towards the pyre, and dropped the torch right by Lance's feet, and his world turned bright, bright red, the flames erupting fiercely around him, too hot, scalding, his skin was burning and his screams disappeared as he whimpered, the tears never stopping.

Why did this have to happen? Wasn't it enough that he'd lost his family and his team? Why was the universe set on stealing everything away from him? He wanted to go back home one more time, wanted to see Mar again, to feel his mom's hugs and his siblings' pats and embraces. He wanted his uncle's weird stories and his nephews' butchered pronunciation of his name, he wanted to see the stars from below and point them out to the kids by the shore while they drank hot chocolate, wanted to swim and sleep in between the corals deep below the surface, the ones that caressed him and lulled him to sleep to the sound of Mar's songs.

Tears fell once more down his cheeks as he sobbed, evaporating instantly in the heat that burnt his hair and flayed his skin, the same skin he had taken such good care of, wanting to impress the person he'd come to love, wanting to stand out and shout out ' _look at me, I'm here, please notice me'._

He didn't want to die, _god_ , he didn't want to die, he knew finding his team had been impossible, but as long as he was alive, that hope, small and flickering like a dying ember as it was, still meant that there was a possibility, a _chance_ , something he could take hold of to continue on and not give up.

If he died, though, there would be _nothing_.

A rumble of something deep within himself lit up, small and frozen, a whisper that sounded like words trying to reach his ears, but the meaning of those words was lost, the voice too faint for Lance to understand, it couldn't reach, too far away, a plea that diminished rapidly until it fizzled out. It left his chest tingling, an echo of a breath rippling through his body, the sensation fading as quick as it came, a shadow of a scream and a sob ringing in his ears.

He didn't want it to end, he wanted to _live_.

He wanted Pidge's punches on the arm as she raved on an on about her newest rover prototype, wanted Hunk's hugs and smiles as he listened to Lance complain about his one sided crush, his wonderful meals and stories of his life before he met Lance. He wanted Allura's stern care and to feel it again when she pinched his cheeks and called him cute, saying that she felt like she had a little brother every time they bonded or had a girls' night.

He wanted Coran's embraces and his Altean stories, the lessons he taught Lance about his culture and life in general as the older man smiled at him, glad to have someone to share his troubles and past adventures with. He wanted Shiro's chastising and his sincere smile whenever Lance landed his shots with deadly accuracy, his pats on the back and how he would always ask everyone after a mission if they were alright, always coming to check up on Lance personally because he knew he used to lie about it.

He wanted the mice to steal food from him again, wanted the sounds of the castle's engines rumbling around him as he took a walk at night again, wanted to eat food goo with everyone again, wanted Blue's presence to cuddle him and nuzzle his face and reassure him when things got bad, wanted to hear her sweet melody again....he wanted...he....

He wanted to see Keith again.

A scream tore out of his throat as his sobbing increased in volume, the mere thought of the person he had learnt to love with time, knowing he would never get to see his face or those beautiful eyes again, tearing him apart. He struggled even as he burnt, the heat and bright light reminding him of Keith, Keith, who was so fierce, determined, headstrong, stubborn, rash, awkward, noble, brave, protective, and so, so _beautiful_.

He wanted to spar with him again, team up against their enemies, have stupid competitions and eating contests, have bonding moments that he hoped he wouldn't forget again, share smiles with him and high five after a good battle. He didn't care if he never learnt of Lance's feelings, if he never got to confess, if he would only be able to look from afar and pine, if Keith found someone else to be happy with.

He only wanted to be by his side and support him once again.

In his withering mind, he pictured Keith by his side, both of them making idle chat as a feeling of companionship and gentle affection shrouded them, a laugh leaving his lips as he tried to teach Keith how to say the chant correctly once again. He just wanted to hear his voice once more, even if Keith messed up like always....just once more before he faded.....just once....

He took a shaky breath in, smoke rattling his lungs as a cough garbled his speech, his vision blurry as soot and tears blinded him.

"I...say....Vol-...and...you...say.........." His eyes began closing on their own accord, his voice completely lost, it hurt....it hurt so much....he couldn't think....couldn't.... breathe....

"VOLTRON!"

Lance's eyes snapped open, a gasp leaving his lips before he could help himself, the resulting cough hurting his broken ribs, but he didn't care, not right _now_ , that voice....he knew that voice, it was the sound he'd wanted to hear the most, the person he wanted to _see_ the most.

His head snapped up and he focused his vision as best he could, and then it was all for nothing as his eyes filled with tears anew, and a breathless whimper left his mouth.

 _Keith_.

There stood Keith in all his glory, red paladin armor shining in the blazing lights of the fire that threatened to consume him, eyes filled with determination and anger and a swirl of many other emotions that escaped Lance's fogged mind as the red paladin wielded his Bayard, slashing at the villagers without mercy, charging ahead like a hurricane, blasting enemies away by the sheer force of his swipes, kicking and punching when they tried to overwhelm him.

It took less than a minute for him to be before the pyre, and before Lance could warn him that no water was here, no way to put out the fire, their eyes met, Keith's horrified and furious gaze meeting Lance's awed one, and then in a movement too quick, before he could shout or deny or plead or say _anything_ , Keith jumped into the fire.

And Lance felt his own voice scream.

But it didn't last long as surprise and longing took place over the fear, and an all encompassing feeling of love and wonder and affection and _belonging_ rushed through his veins.

He watched as Keith's eyes turned bright purple, his black hair growing and flaming around him as the fire seemed to caress his skin, flame like markings peeking out from his collarbone and sitting proudly near his left eye. Keith walked forward and the fire parted ways, divided in two, opening a path for him to walk towards the pyre, his eyes never once straying from Lance's own.

He felt a deep sense of kin settling in his heart and soul, a thread tying to his finger as it laced Keith's own and made a tight knot, impossible to unravel, the sensation of a calling and an answering response bringing tears to his bloodshot eyes once more.

He felt something connect, tie, fuse together, join.....

And then Keith was there breaking the rope that held him, taking him in his arms away from the fire and towards a clearing, breaths short and steps hurried, his grip on Lance's back and legs soft but firm, clutching him to his chest like he was _everything_.

He felt himself being lowered down onto the ground, and a whimper left him as Keith's arms and his warmth left him, everything hurt, everything burnt and itched and stung, and he was sure he looked a mess, hair burnt, skin turned to ash and covered in soot, probably red and raw and ugly. The thought was enough to send him into a fit of crying for the umpteenth time that day, and he hiccupped and sobbed, trying to cover his face, but his hands were unresponsive and bleeding from his earlier struggles, he could do nothing but lay there and weep.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, don't cry, you'll be fine." A hand, soothing and soft, caressed his face, and he leaned into it, sniffing and trying hard not to fall asleep. But his eyes closed down on their own accord, and he felt himself relax before the same sweet voice that Lance had longed to hear spoke to him again from close by, the sensation of lips on his forehead making him sigh.

"No, come on, don't sleep, wait just a bit, you'll be okay." Lance let out a confused sound, and he barely had time to crack one eye open before something cold was thrown all over him, and a scream ripped from his sore throat as it stung his wounds, the contrast too harsh for him to handle. He felt -in the painful haze he found himself in- his hair grow once more and his wounds bubble with foam as they did every time they healed themselves, the cooling sensation covering his body, some parts freezing over, numb.

It was probably no more than a minute, but it felt like an hour for him, but once everything was over, his mind was clear, his chest felt light and nothing hurt besides his ankle and back, and even that was subdued and far away. He heard a strangled gasp, a hitched breath above him, and he opened his eyes to see Keith -this time clearly- leaning over him, long, black hair cascading down his back in a beautiful curtain reminiscing of the night sky.

The red paladin reached a hand towards Lance, running one of his fingers slowly and tenderly over the scale like markings that he knew he had on his cheek, the same hand falling to his shoulder to run through the strands of light blue hair that surrounded him like a halo, the other's expression awestruck and amazed, like he'd just seen something....

"Beautiful." Lance startled, eyes meeting Keith's as a blush covered the blue paladin's cheeks, his arms leaning on the ground to try and sit himself, a feat that was deemed impossible when Keith sneaked a hand around his back and held him against his chest once more.

"Uhh....Keith, my man...I'm....fine, you don't need to..." Lance trailed off, the earlier events finally processing in his mess of a brain, a jumble of questions meshing together as they tumbled out his mouth in a poor attempt to get some answers. "You- wait how- why are you-the hell did you even- you're- but I didn't- and the water- Uh?!" Keith, for the most part, just chuckled, the rumbling of his chest a comforting sound on Lance's ear, the vibrations making his heart leap inside his ribcage.

"You idiot. Don't worry me again like this." His voice was so soft, that Lance thought he heard wrong, but when small tremors began running through Keith's frame, his embrace tightening as he rested his forehead against Lance's, every question and doubt fled from his mind."I thought I lost you, that you were gone forever -he hiccupped- I thought I would never get to hold you and speak to you again, there were so many things I had wanted to say, so many regrets, I failed you, I let you fall, you did it for _me_ , it was my fault, I'm so sorry."

Lance shook his head and nuzzled Keith's neck, breathing in the scent of ash and burning wood. The smell should have terrified him, disgusted him, but it brought a sense of safety and comfort instead, the ash smelled like incense, the fruity ones that Lance loved, and the smell of burning birch reminded him of the cold winter nights at home.

"Don't cry, it's okay, I did it because I wanted to. I'm just sorry you had to suffer for it." The tremors stilled, and the hands around him gripped him harder, albeit soft.

"Idiot, worrying about me in this situation? If I had seen that soldier, if I had had your back like you thought I did....." Lance huffed and pinched his cheek, a small yelp of outrage leaving Keith's lips.

"Don't be stubborn, that was definitely _not_ your fault, these dudes were to blame. That soldier was a hologram they created to make me fall, to lure me away, you didn't miss it and I didn't miss my shot, it was all their doing." Lance seethed, his feelings of anger coming back full force, and above him Keith did the same, abruptly getting up with Lance on his arms and walking as fast as he could towards.....somewhere.

"Were are you going? Let me down, will you? I'm fine." Keith shook his head.

"Not a chance, I just watched you burn alive in front of me." A shudder raked his body ." Had to watch the aftermath wondering if I was too late to save you, so you're not getting out of my sight, we are flying away from here even if it's the last thing I do." Lance was ready to protest, but then, something that felt like a shove inside his brain made him gasp, the sensation of a cold hand caressing his cheek making him shiver, a whisper of a plea reverberating inside his mind.

He felt like he'd sensed this before, when he was on the pyre...

Keith took his reaction as pain or something similar, because he hastened his pace and before he knew it, they were standing below Red, the lion purring nonstop and shouting in joy at their presence, bowing down to let them in. It took only a minute and then he was seated on the pilot chair, Keith kneeling down before him, his hair normal length again as he took a first aid kit out of a hidden drawer, beginning to search for injuries.

"Keith....how are you here? Why?" Lance looked down at Keith, who was biting his lip while bandaging his ankle.

"I.....after you fell, we searched for you for hours, I was....we were devastated, we tried everything but there was no trace of you, everyone....decided you were dead, but I couldnt believe it, something told me that was _wrong_ , that you were still out there." The red paladin traced nimble fingers over the skin of his leg, and Lance resisted the urge to blush, now was not the time, Keith had come save him because they were teammates, nothing else.

He prayed it was something else.

"Shiro didn't like that, thought I had ptsd or...denial or something, and even Hunk got mad every time I mentioned you or how you might be alive, he was very affected, and usually ended up in tears whenever I said your name...it was....difficult." Lance's breath hitched, and he clutched his chest, the thought of his friends suffering so much because of him doing nothing for his guilt and anxiety.

"The others weren't faring any better, and Blue refused to let anyone pilot her unless necessary, I just...tried to go on and forget about you, since that seemed to be what everyone wanted......everyone but _me."_ Keith looked up and met Lance's eyes. " It worked for about a month and a half, but then, one day, Blue growled at me, and it was strange, because I had never talked with her, not like with Red, but she was desperate, screaming for me to do _something_....and the sensation that you were still alive came back full force and I couldn't ignore it anymore." Keith raised his hand and held Lance's own, their fingers interwining as the other squeezed, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

"I ditched the team -Lance gasped- it was going to be temporary, just a quick trip to the planet where I lost you, to finally swallow the realization that you were gone forever, and then I would come back. I didn't even tell Shiro, because I knew he would stop me, but Red and Blue were strangely pleased when I took off in the middle of the night, so I wasn't too worried, albeit guilty." Keith stood, his free hand cupping Lance's cheek and running his thumb over the skin below his eye, his cheekbone, the corner of his lips, and eventually settling on his chin.

His motions were filled with so much tenderness and care, so much affection, that Lance dared hope it was something _more_ than the relief of knowing he was alive, no matter how much he knew that it wouldn't become anything more, even if it broke his heart with longing, he was hopelessly in love, and he couldn't let go.

"And then I landed, and those aliens, the ones that betrayed us, that caused your...death, were bowing to me, trying to give me some device. I was going to deny them, explore the land and go back, but they mentioned 'the Blue One' and you came to mind, I snatched that thing and pressed play." Lance felt his face burning bright, body trembling slightly as he tried to remember everything he had said on those things, but it was no use, it had been some time ago, and his brain didn't want to cooperate.

"When I heard your voice, I thought I was going to die. You were okay, you wanted us to find you, you were alive, _alive_. As soon as I realized this and the date it was, I took off with Red, retrieving every single one of your messages, hoping to find you. When I read the last one, I knew it was my only chance to get to you, so I flew as fast as possible, never once stopping, and arrived at this planet." Stutters in his speech, Keith leaned his forehead against Lance's once more, eyes clenched shut, and he took the time to admire Keith's beauty, something he'd always seen from afar, unable to touch, to make his feelings known.

"I overheard some of those aliens saying something about a Blue One being burnt in a pyre and....I snapped, I don't know exactly what happened after, but....I saw you, and I lost it, I just wanted you safe in my arms right then and there. Anyone that dared stand in my way was an enemy, anyone that had hurt you was an enemy, I didn't care about them in the slightest, I just wanted to reach _you_." The eyes that stared back at him were a deep purple, swirls of blue dancing in his irises as tears got trapped in between his eyelashes, mouth upturned in anguish.

"I thought you were gone, that the fire had taken you away, that I had been too late. I had the water that the aliens had given me as a gift for you, saying that, as your destined, I had to take care of you, and water would heal any wounds you may had. They explained to me about you, about me, about many things I couldn't understand, but as I dumped that water over you, I didn't care about any of that, I just wanted you to be okay." Lance moved his right hand, finally snapping out of his haze and moving without thinking, reaching to brush Keith's hair back from his face, it was as soft as he'd imagined, the tresses sliding through his fingers like silk.

"I had never seen something so beautiful." Lance let out a breathy sigh."I listened to every single one of your recordings, the second to last one nearly giving me a heart attack, and after I finished.....I wanted to do nothing more than to reach for you and say.....' _Me too_ '." Lance whimpered, his mind not processing what he was hearing, because it couldn't be, it was too good to be true, maybe he had died in the pyre and gone to heaven, maybe this was a dream of his deepest whises, something to send him off with a smile.

Keith couldn't love him back.

"It's not a dream, I do. I wanted to tell you for the longest time, but I thought you didn't like me, I envied the way you used to smile at the Garrison, how you could make friends with anyone, how you tried harder than anyone, how you never gave up and always got back up, ready to fight for your dreams. I loved how you seemed to light up a room when you entered and how everyone's spirits lifted as you talked, the sound of your voice soothing to those that listened."

"I never knew how to interact with people, neither how to make friends, and I was embarrassed and felt inadequate, feeling like this for someone I didn't know, so I tried not to pay attention to you, even when my eyes sought you whenever I went. And then Shiro disappeared and I got kicked out for delving in too deep, and your face blurred more and more until I couldn't remember how you looked like or the sound of your voice. I cried that night, feeling more alone than I ever had."

"And then we met again, and you seemed to hate me, and there was also that rivalry thing....I tried hard to get to know you, this time, even when I was so bad at talking and stuff, and the more I got to know about you....the more I fell. I fell for your smile, your jokes, the way you took care that everyone was doing fine, forcing us to rest if you thought we were pushing too hard. Your perfect aim, your selflessness, your kind nature, your courage, your playfulness, your insecurities, your upbeat character, your light.... everything you were mesmerized me and I wanted nothing more than to hold you in my arms and never let go."

"Keith....." Lance bit his lip, wailing softly. "If this is a dream...I won't....I won't be able to take it....I can't..." His breath was cut short when lips met his, soft like flower petals and warm, like the fire that had embraced Keith, like the hands holding his waist and hugging his back, like the butterflies buzzing around in his stomach and filling his chest and heart, warm, warm, warm.

A tick later, and Keith's hand was brushing away his tears, kissing them and peppering his face all over, his hair tickling Lance's face and stealing a giggle or two, his brain fuzzy and heart giddy at the thought that ' _He's mine, he wants to be mine'_. Something deep inside told him that their connection went way deeper than they imagined, probably having to do with the fact that Keith was also a nymph, a fire one at that.

The thought sent Lance into a fit of laughter, worrying Keith. He'd always thought he was alone, no one to share his troubles with, no one to talk to about his condition, the last of his kind, but it turned out he'd always been there, and Lance never noticed.

"Lance....are you okay?" And cue the worried frown, that wouldn't do.

"Yeah, just....did you know you were a nymph?" Keith's eyes widened, and he looked thoughtful for a moment, but eventually shook his head.

"My parents never told me anything, and being half galra and stuff, I always thought my resistance to fire and heat had something to do with that, seems that wasn't the case, though." Lance chuckled despite himself, endeared at Keith's nonchalant answer at finding he was not human. Of course, with being half galra and the chosen to fight in space in giant lion cats and stuff, it was normal that he wasn't surprised anymore.

"You never noticed?" He tilted his head in wonder.

"Well, I never set myself on fire, so no, I wouldn't have known." His tone was deadpan and expression serious, and Lance had to stop himself from laughing out loud.

"Fair point."

"Okay, I think we overstayed our welcome, and I don't want those guys anywhere near you. Red, get us out of here." Lance was about to vocalize his total agreement of that statement, when a loud, shrill scream of desperation and loneliness filled his mind. It felt the same as when Mar or Rosa or any of the other oceans spoke to him, like a song, the tunes sweet and reaching for him, though this time coated in distress and misery.

A tick later, before he could react, voices and images and sounds and feelings swirled around in his mind, and he was powerless to stop them from overwhelming his senses, and resigned himself to watch, and wait until they passed and whoever tried talking to him was satisfied.

\--

_They hurt them._

_**They hurt our children.** _

_They need to be stopped, their minds are corrupt, their fear guides them, their hate guides them, their envy consumes them._

We need to stop them, we need to save them.

_We cannot interfere, we cannot kill, we are powerless._

_**But we can curse, we will curse.** _

_Until the very last of their kind is gone._

Until our children are gone.

_We will wait until then, we will warn, we will give a choice._

*

_They did not listen._

_**Our children are dying, suffering, our sweet beloveds, profaned, defiled, tortured, lost.** _

_It will be done, they have no salvation._

They made their choice.

**We will make ours.**

*

_You who are like us._

_**You who are yet to be born.** _

_Would you shoulder the burden of this task?_

We cannot move, cannot take on this cross.

_**You, who have yet to bloom, deep down below the earth, will you help?** _

_Will you avenge our lost children?_

_Will you keep time unmoving?_

Will you freeze those blackened souls?

_**Will you impart justice and judgement?** _

_....I will. _

*

_They have fallen into madness._

_**It was destined to happen.** _

_There is nothing left for them._

Nothing but despair.

_We warned them, we did._

_**They ignored, now they are trapped.** _

_ Death will not come. _

_ I will make sure of it. _

_ I will keep watch until the tides change. _

_ Until fate moves forward. _

_ I will stay, unborn, for the sake of those sacrificed for nothing. _

_ For their pain. _

_ For our children. _

_ My children. _

_ The ones I will never get to know. _

*

_Time is long._

_My will falters._

_Loneliness hurts._

_I want to be born._

_I want to be free._

_...please set me free._

_You, you who are like our children, hear my plea._

_Save me._

_End this._

_The punishment has gone on for long enough._

_Our children will not come back._

_I crave warmth._

_Set me free._

\--

He came to with warm hands holding his head and back, cradling him to a strong chest, his head swimming with too may thoughts at once and his throat feeling like he swallowed sandpaper, a whisper of a voice getting louder and louder until his hearing returned completely.

"Lance! Lance! Speak to me, what's wrong? Wake up, please!" Keith's panicked voice registered first, then the fact that Red was mid flight and they were leaving the planet. He straightened so suddenly he made himself dizzy, and had to grip his...boyfriend's?....-he didn't know what they were yet- shoulders, breaths short and quick.

"Turn back." Lance cringed at the sound of his voice, it sounded wrecked.

"What? No way in hell." Keith held his head in his hands, checking for injuries and the like, brow pulled into a frown as he snarled, half terrified, half angry at his request.

"No, no, no, you don't get it. I need to go back, and I think when you know why, you're going to agree with me." The red paladin looked skeptical, eyes roaming over Lance as if looking for any signs of madness or haziness.

".....Fine, try me." A smirk bloomed on Lance's face, and he spoke without hesitation.

"I'm going to destroy this planet."

\--

Half an hour later, when he'd told Keith the truth of everything, they were back -Keith had accepted, albeit begrudgingly, but his hate for the planet that nearly took his soulmate overshadowed his doubt - riding Red towards the area that Lance pointed him to. It was a clearing exactly in the center of the planet, rocks and trees growing in a circle around it, marking the way in.

As soon as they were above it, Lance told Red to fire, and even though he wasn't her pilot, she listened -saying something about 'destineds' or whatever, he'll worry about it later- and fired her lava canon until a hole as deep as it would go was made, the earth melting and leaving a gaping entrance for them to go through.

They couldn't go in Red, though, so they left her outside with the particle barrier on, put on their helmets, and prepared their jetpacks to fly down, deep into the heart of the planet, Keith holding his hand as they jumped, not wanting to let go.

They fell for a long time, and when they finally touched ground, it was pitch black all around them. Except for the big, blue ball of light shining bright in the center, golden rings with ancient scriptures moving around like they were alive, swirling blues and whites and reds mixing inside the sphere as the energy moved around, like waves, like the tide....like the ocean.

"What is this?" He turned around to face a confused Keith, and hummed a bit before laying his hand down onto the golden rings, expression sad.

"This is.... _was_ , the ocean that was supposed to be born on this planet." A small gasp told him just how surprised Keith was, and Lance tried not to tear up when the child's -because that's what it was- ethereal form nuzzled his hand, chirping and cooing, radiating happiness at finally having company, finally learning other emotions besides hate and anger and madness.

"Back then, when these people killed every single one of the Guardians, the Elders, all of the oceans that made up this galaxy, asked this child, unborn, if he would take the burden of bestowing punishment upon those corrupt murderers." Keith's face set on a grim expression, realization dawning as he clenched his fist, probably thinking how unjust this was.

"This child accepted, and when the Elders brought the evil guys here and hid the planet in the rift, this little guy remained unborn, hiding in the core of the planet. And, instead of nurturing the planet and making it flourish, all his energy was channeled into keeping the inhabitants alive. It means, in other words...." Keith walked ahead, still holding Lance's hand, and touched the rings too, forlorn and tense.

"That this child is the one keeping them alive, those guys are already dead." The red paladin's voice held no pity neither happiness at that thought, it was just a fact, spoken as such.

"Yeah, a long, long time ago. If they were to ever leave this place, they would turn to ash, leaving nothing behind, but if they stayed they would live forever, trapped in a cycle of eternal life with no hope of feeling satisfied, content, or happy. They would be in a never ending hell for the rest of existence." Lance turned and stroked the rings, the sphere shaking lightly as if it was giggling, happy. He had to bit his lip to stop a sob from leaving his lips.

"It should have gone on forever, but this child is tired, tired of hating, of being lonely, of the pain. He thinks it's already been enough time, that the punishment was enough, even if none of them ever repented, he doesn't care anymore, says this madness will not bring them back. He wants this planet gone, so he can be free, and be reborn on a new planet, where he'll be able to flow and nurture and take care of the earth and the people living there." He stepped away and took Keith with him, looking him in the eyes, both pained at the thought of this young ocean having to suffer so much, for so long.

"I want to free him, Keith." The red paladin nodded, eyes hard and determined.

"Let's do it then." He took out his bayard without hesitation, and, with a nod of Lance's head, ran towards the ocean, who acted as the core of the planet, destroying the rings one by one until only the sphere remained.

A feeling like a teary giggle mixed with happiness and delight flowed into his core, and he clutched his chest, trying to keep the warmth trapped there, until it slipped trough his fingers and dissapeared....it had felt like a _'thank you', 'see you again'_ , and a hug.

A tear slipped down his cheek, and he yelped when a kiss took it away, Keith crushing him in a tight embrace, whispering sweet nothings and comforting words. Until the ground shook, that is, and they knew it was their cue to get out of there, so they activated their jet packs and flew out, nervous when it took way longer than they thought.

They ran towards Red once they landed, and took flight immediately, worryingly looking back, catching a glimpse of the villagers as they ran like headless chickens, screaming, crying, running in circles, laughing, giggling....it was madness, it wasn't right to let this go on any longer.

It was time they slept.

They reached space in record time, and Keith veered Red so they could watch the ultimate end of a story long overdue. The planet cracked, the fissures filling with bright blue light, more and more appearing as lightning took over, pieces of land crumbling and disintegrating, becoming space dust. Then the light got more and more bright, to the point of blinding, the earth shuddering for a moment, then staying still in complete silence.

The next second, the planet exploded into beautiful firework like lights, blue and red and white, lighting up the black canvas that was space, pieces of the core adrift as they journeyed to places unknown. They watched as the blue energy took shape, forming a wave that came over their direction, it circled Red playfully once, whispering some sweet words to Lance, his melody never to be forgotten, and then it flowed away, towards the vast expanse of the universe, to be reborn again.

"I hope he gets to finally be happy." He looked down at their hands, tentatively intertwining their fingers and squeezing, feeling silly for doubting now, when Keith had already kissed him and made clear that he liked him. But....Lance didn't like Keith, he _loved_ him, and he was afraid of scaring the other with his overwhelming feelings so soon, in the beginning of their relationship.

But then Keith looked at him, eyes filled with warmth and care and happiness, his voice soft as he spoke. "I hope we do, too." And he knew he was being silly, because his every touch, every word, every caress and kiss told him just how much Keith loved him. Even when he didn't know Lance was alive, he came back for him, to make sure, to pay his respects.

He wasn't forgotten, he'd been loved, missed.

He felt like crying again, only this time, in happiness.

He slumped against Keith's chest and smiled -not in happiness or glee, he would never take joy from someone's death, no matter how horrible the person - but in relief. Relief that everything was finally over, that he wasn't alone anymore, that he would be able to go back home, see his friends again, hold them again, hear them again.

"Can we go home now?" Keith nodded, and took his seat on the pilot chair, Lance hesitating for a tick before settling down on Keith's thighs, calming down when he noticed that the red paladin relaxed at his closeness.

He closed his eyes and drifted off to the sound of Keith's heartbeat and the warmth of his lips on his forehead, a hum like a lullaby sung to him as he finally succumbed to sleep.

\--

Their arrival to the castle was...kind of hilarious, given the situation. Shiro was waiting to scold Keith for leaving, probably going to tell him he was in denial about Lance's death and lock him in the med bay until he came to terms with reality.

But as soon as he caught sight of Lance, who walked down the steps behind Keith, his arms uncrossed and fell to his sides, his eyes widened and his mouth hung open, and even from the distance he was in, he could see their leader tearing up, shoulders shaking as he reached forward.

"Lance....?" He smiled.

"I'm home, Shiro." And before he could take a whole breath, the black paladin was there, crushing him in his arms, tears falling non stop as he spoke, too fast to catch everything, but Lance got the idea of what he wanted to say anyway. He knew.

"Im sorry-so sorry- we tried, you weren't there - we looked for hours - I failed as your leader and friend - Keith told us you were alive- we didn't believe him- oh god, we abandoned you- I'm sorry, so sorry- we fell apart without you- we missed you, so much, so much." Lance held onto him just as strong, giving him kind words for every self hating one he spoke, reassuring him that it was okay, he understood, it was _fine_.

"What's all this ruckus about? I'm trying to work here!" Pidge's voice came from the door of the hangar as she strode in, rover in hand, dark circles under her eyes as she glared at everything around her, glancing from Keith, to Shiro....to _him_. Her rover fell and shattered, but she didn't make any move to retrieve it, she just stuttered, cut out words leaving her lips as she gazed, disbelieving, at his face.

"Lance....LANCE!" The force of her glomp was terrifying, and both he and Shiro grunted at the impact, but had no intention of trying to dislodge her away from him. She held onto his neck like a sloth, legs around his middle as she sobbed, loud and ugly, her glasses askew as she repeated his name.

"It's okay, I'm okay, don't cry, please." She punched him in the arm.

"Shut up asshole! Look at me, look at my face! Do I look like I care?! I look like a mess already, let me relieve my stress! I have a lot accumulated!" She took a deep breath. " Were the fuck were you? What happened? Are you hurt? Did someone kidnap you? Do I need to kill someone? You're back, jesus christ you're alive and you're back." She got back to nuzzling him and holding for dear life, and he managed not to cry so far, he was doing good, it was fine.

Even when Allura and Coran showed up and the princess gathered all of them in her arms -even Keith-, crushing their ribs as they laughed, teary and happy and so relieved to have gotten back their missing piece, he held his tears back. They finally felt complete again, Allura said, telling him just how important he was and how sorry she was that she hadn't been able to help, how devastated she'd been when she thought she'd lost another member of her family, how she had bowed to defeat the empire once and for all, for altea, for the fallen, for the suffering.....and for _him_.

He'd managed to hold back his tears as Coran hugged him and weeped and told him how much he was like a son to him, how anguished he'd been at his absence, how the castle felt empty and hollow and how he missed his voice and chatter, his upbeat attitude and boisterous personality. He didn't cry when Blue flew to Red's hangar and crouched down before him, purring and growling and apologizing over and over again, saying time and time again how much she loved him, how she missed him, how much she cherished him, how she wanted him, only him, and no one else.

His eyes remained dry by sheer force of will.

But it all shattered when a voice came from the door, quiet and small and devoid of feeling.

"What are you guys doing? Has Kolivan come again to see us?" It was Hunk, his best friend, the guy he had shared crackers with on first grade, the guy who told the bullies to back off when they called Lance creepy and his family weirdos, the guy who baked him cakes on his birthday even though he had no money to spare, and always listened to his problems, no matter how stupid they were. The guy who helped him study, laughed at his jokes, held him when he cried, believed him when he said he was telling the truth, warned him of bad decisions but still followed along, to keep an eye on him because he _cared_.

His best friend, his brother, his family.

"Hunk....?" The yellow paladin raised his head slowly, eyes wide as saucers as his breath hitched, eyes landing on the paladin pile with Lance in it's center, it seemed everyone reached a silent agreement to let Lance free, and as soon as he disentangled his limbs from everyone, his legs moved on his own, and within seconds he was throwing himself at his friend and they both tumbled down.

It took a second for Hunk to catch up on what was happening, but as soon as he registered that it was Lance sobbing onto his shoulder, his best friend was bawling alongside him, holding him as tight, both a mess of snot and tears, red faced and ugly.

But they didn't care, they were together again, he was alive and back with his family again, it was the only thing that mattered.

He raised his head slightly and looked down at Hunk, vision blurry and messed up, but even through his wavering gaze, he saw the blinding smile his best friend gave him, and felt one blooming on his own face, widening when the rest of the paladins joined them again with a scream of ' _To hell with it'_ , ending in a tangle of limbs and hugs and tears, and even Allura and Coran joined in, Blue and Red curling around them and filling the room with purrs.

That night, they slept on a makeshift bed on the common room, all together into a cuddle pile, feeling, for the first time in a long while, content and relaxed, knowing their missing heart was back where it belonged, safe and sound in the warmth of their mismatched family.

\--

The next day, Lance guided everyone into the pool while Keith carried the containers the aliens had given him yesterday, he was scared of rejection, of being thought of as a monster. But he knew that was just his brain feeding insecurities to him, his anxiety acting up, remembering the things his mother always told him, _'trust no one' , 'tell no one', 'they won't understand'._

It was time he trusted his family, he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

"Okay...so, don't freak out?" His friends looked at him in wonder, confused and eager -in Pidge's case- while Shiro shook his head.

"Of course we won't freak out, what's this about, Lance?" He only smiled at his leader, nodding to Keith so he could dump Rosa's water over him, feeling relieved and refreshed when it cascaded down his body, his shifting feeling natural, like opening his eyes or breathing.

"Holy shit." That was Pidge. He opened his eyes to watch as she gaped, hands fumbling with her pocket until she found her phone, proceeding to take pictures of him from every angle.

"What the heck dude." Hunk walked up to him, frowning. " Why didn't you tell me you could grow your hair at will? I could have been braiding to relax all this time!" Lance gaped, sputtering as he tried to come up with an argument that didn't sound stupid.

"Hunk, my man, I cannot grow my hair at will. I'm a frigging nymph! A water one!" His friends 'oooooh'-ed, looks of understanding crossing their faces, Shiro coming forward with a worried crease in his brows.

"Is this going to interfere with your health? Do you need water at all times? Are you okay?" His leader tried in vain not to stare, and he blushed and looked away when he was caught, ashamed. Lance only laughed.

"No, not at all, I've been a nymph since I was born, after all. I can live like a normal human, but I have powers that come with being a guardian of water, and it can heal my wounds and fatigue, so it comes in handy sometimes." He glanced back at Keith, smirking.

"I mean, if I had needed water at all times to survive it would've been kind of annoying, although setting Keith on fire would have been an awesome way to pass time." Keith gasped, outraged.

"Lance! I was going to tell them later!"

"Sorry babe, it slipped." Five sets of eyes landed on him, and he grinned, mischievous. "Yeah, also, me and Keith are kinda dating, so there's that." His teammates just stared, brains processing until, finally, Allura snapped.

"Okay, as I understand it, Lance and Keith are some kind of....human subspecies? Which changes....nothing really, and they have decided to form a relationship based on love and respect and strengthen the bond between them, yes?" Both of them nodded ' _yes'_.

"All good news then! I don't see why you look so worried, Lance." He touched his face, noticing that he was, indeed, frowning, and his lips were trembling slightly as he shook. " I learnt my lesson once, I won't let differences in our genetic make up or choices in love change the way I think about you or anyone, you are you, Lance, and we wouldn't want anyone else." He sighed in relief, and then felt embarrassed all of a sudden, all his friends were looking at him and Keith with smiles on their faces, nodding and giving him thumbs up as they cheered.

"About time you two hooked up! It was getting annoying, watching you two gaze longingly at each other's backs. Thank god that's solved, now you can be all lovey-dovey and stop being sad when the other won't pay attention to you." Pidge, blunt as always, just embarrassed him further, and he blushed to the tips of his ears.

There had been too much talk about feelings and love and stuff, he was getting a bit overwhelmed, so he jumped into the pool and dived into the depths, laying on the ground as he tried to calm his racing heart. He lay there for a while, and when it finally felt like he could breathe again, he resurfaced, coming face to face with an anxious, jittery Keith, who stopped moving the moment Lance broke through the surface.

The blue paladin levitated above the water for a tick, then landed his feet on the surface as it rippled, walking towards keith as he stared at Lance, seemingly mesmerized by his movements.

"I...didn't know you could walk on water....I kinda knew about the breathing, but...." His eyes widened, and he suddenly felt guilty, they hadn't had time to talk about....anything at all, after they came back. Most things were left hanging in the air, unsolved, though he was sure both of them knew what they were to each other, they still needed to talk, communication was important, after all.

Lance glanced around and noticed that his teammates had left, possibly on purpose, or because they got tired of waiting for him to resurface. Whatever the reason, he took the opportunity and sat on Keith's left, resting his head on his shoulder.

"Sorry...I've never....told anyone besides my family about this....it's strange for me to....have to tell someone what I can and cannot do, I always thought I was the last of my kind, a child that was born with a mistake in his genetics, inheriting something useless in the present day." A hand sneaked around his back, holding him carefully, Keith's own head resting above Lance's.

"It may have been something useless for you, but if it helped you survive until now, if it helped you survive that cliff and that pyre....then, I'm glad it's a part of you." Lance hummed, nuzzling the red paladin's neck, a sigh of happiness echoing throughout the chamber.

"You know, the only reason you were able to find the last planet, was because you were a nymph, too. Only those with similar quintessence to the Blue ones could see the rift and enter, if it had been anyone else....I would...."

"Don't think about it. It didn't happen, I didn't think much about being a nymph or whatever, it's not something that changed my life drastically like it did for you, but if it led me to that planet, and finding you, then I'm glad I'm a strange galra-human-fae hybrid or whatever, I don't care at this point, as long as I'm with you." Lance felt his chest tighten and his heart throb, so full of love it was bursting at the seams, he still couldn't believe his feelings were reciprocated, it felt surreal.

"You're thinking too hard, again." His statement was followed by a kiss, searing, warm, carrying all of Keith's feelings for him, all his love, care, admiration, devotion, longing.....It was a kiss that said ' _I want to be with you, stay with me, I love you_ '.

Everything was fine, he was back were he belonged, a bit messed up but in one piece, with the people he loved and trusted with everything he had, he couldn't ask for nothing else.

"I love you, Keith." The red paladin startled, then gifted Lance with one of the most beautiful smiles he'd ever seen.

"I love you too, silly."

"......."

"....I still want to set you on fire, though."

_"Lance!"_

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Come scream at me on tumblr:  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/talklance  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ultiwrites


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